Awake
by SunshineNGunpowder21
Summary: No I haven't changed" she started quietly but didn't lower her wand that was aimed at the children "Im still the same person" A cackle answered and Bellatrix came closer with her lips at Milo's ear "Don't be a fool You have changed...It just took longer
1. Awaken to the Truth

**Hillo ^^** **I want to say thanks for checking this story out! If you're into darker fics with hot romance and danger then this may very well be the story for you… But there will be changes to the characters that I will be making with my little creative license-nothing major. Please enjoy and let me know what you think!!! It takes place at the end of book seven, but the "last battle" obviously had different outcome, but we'll get to that later!**

_**Summary: ( Lupin, Siruis, Tonks are all in there early thirties!) The war is still going and not much progress has been made on either side with the exception that Hogwarts has now fallen into the hands of the DeathEaters. With the Order still fighting strong, betrayal and loyalties are tested. Only the Order stands in between Voldemort and the non-pureblooded. What happens when a Deatheater is found nearly dead and is soon after taken in by the Order? Will they have a new ally or will there downfall come faster then expected?**_

**Disclaimer… This is fanfiction, so there shouldn't be a disclaimer!**

_Noise…there was so much…noise. The sound of spells flying high and trees being uprooted. The cries of pain and morning packed to the eardrums of the many that were near, but only fell deafened by the background of hums and beating hearts. Then silence. The battle was over and the walls that the Order of the Phoenix had worked so hard to build, had crumbled under Voldemort's advances…_

_Hogwarts was his now. Where he took control and only those of the purest bloods attended to learn the dark arts. It was inevitable, and the Order had suffered a major blow, but they left with few members passed on to the next world after death, while the survivors returned to lick their wounds to fight again. Voldemort may have taken the battle's victory, but there was still much to take back and for the Order…_

_They prepared for the next engagement. _

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Quickly she ran up the stairs with a small smile playing across her lips and her curls bounced wildly. Up the stairs she went with her strides swallowing two steps at a time until she reached the last landing of the Burrow. "Ron, Harry!" Hermione called as she followed down the hallway. Two heads peaked from the bedroom to see a slightly winded witch rushing towards them.

"What is it, 'moine?" Ron questioned as he revealed his body from behind the doorframe.

"It's Lupin. He's downstairs talking with your Mum," she looked back and forth between the two and her smile grew slightly. "He said there's a surprise for us, but we have to go with him."

"Go? Where are we going?" Harry spoke quietly. Dark rings filled under his eyes from lack of sleep. The pain in his scar had been immense the last two nights, but he only chopped it up to Voldemort being active. Of course this knowledge didn't set well with the dark haired boy, but he knew it was too soon to do anything yet. Only three weeks ago was it that they had lost Hogwarts to him and it would be Hell to get it back. But he was ready for a fight.

"Well…I'm not sure, but he's waiting on us now," she explained while taking a firm hold of each of their hands and pulling them out of their room. "Come on! I think it's something good."

"_Something good_?" Ron asked skeptically. "Well I'm not sure I want to find out what it is then… Every time something good happens, something worse follows." Though the three weeks had past, it wasn't near enough time for Ron to heal from the battle. She didn't expect anything less of him and was deeply touched that he was still in pain from it. The loss of his brother, Fred, had kept him quieter, but luckily he was coming around to his normal self. Harry though had still had a few dreams of the night that Sirius had died. The lack of sleep was due because of such haunting visions replaying in his mind, but he kept his chin up through it all. Stopping at the tops of the stairs, she spun around and embraced both Harry and Ron.

"We're in this together," she said quietly. "Inseparable to the end." Pulling back, she wiped a few stray tears from her cheeks and watched hopefully at the smiles that pushed upon her friend's lips before once again, she pulled them-not to kindly- down the stairs. Reaching the bottom, they saw Lupin showing Ginny and Luna a new jinx that had their clothes changing different lengths and styles as they both beamed down the front of them. "Tonks said you would love to learn to change your appearance incase a spilling accident happens in public," he explained unsurely as they smiled wildly.

"Wow! That's like the perfect spell! This is genius!" Ginny squealed while changing her shirt to a dark pink that had long sleeves flaring out around her wrists.

"Great," Ron sighed and rolled his eyes. "Now she'll never stop using that spell."

This earned him a glare from his red headed sister who realized he was standing there, but Lupin only chuckled while Hermione went to her friends and started asking questions about the spell; clearly interested in how it worked. Lupin left the three girls and made his way to Harry and Ron with his hands in his pockets. "I had promised Tonks that I would show them that. If I didn't she would have had a fit," he explained sheepishly.

Both guys laughed, knowing their fair share of women.

"How are you doing? And how is Teddy?" Harry asked up to his friend. He was still a little taller then him; only by a few inches. From the last time he had seen him, Lupin looked considerably well rested and his arm that had been burned severely was moving as it should. He had shaved his mustache and his hair was growing in its usual messy style that hung around his ears. He looked every bit of his age as 35, which was an improvement from when he appeared nearly 50. Teddy and Tonks had been a blessing in his life and he looked to have enjoyed every minute of it. Harry's smile only grew at his friend's happiness.

"Oh, he is doing fine. Happy as can be… He absolutely adores that blanket you got for him. Always pulling it around with him, that boy."

"So was that spell the "_good thing_" you were going to show us?" Ron asked as he watched the girls giggle to themselves.

"Hm?" Lupin turned back to the three girls and chuckled. "Oh, no. Actually I was going to take you somewhere, if you're up for it."

Harry couldn't help the curious thought that left him before he could keep it in. "Where to?"

"Oh, that, Harry, is for you to find out… But we should probably have only you, Ron and Hermione go. It's still too dangerous to have a large group go through the Floo Network…." He glanced around before leaning in and saying in a quieter voice, "But we have to go soon. I told Molly that I would have you three back for supper."

"Alright," Harry shrugged. "What are we waiting for?"

"Well, who wants to pull Hermione away?"

"I'll do it," Ron volunteered. He took a step away from Harry and Lupin before yelling out, "Oi, we're goin' leave without you if you don't get ove' here!"

A deadly glare was thrown at him by the auburn haired witch and he gulped thinking that may have not been quite the best way to go about it. Hermione only murmured something to the others and rushed to Ron before stomping on his toe. "Manners, Ronald," she reminded in a dry tone and followed to where Harry snickered to himself.

"Right then," Lupin sighed and walked to the fireplace with the others following. "Are you ready?"

"Wait-where are we-" Hermione started before Lupin interrupted.

"Ah-uh. Where's the surprise if I told you?"

Hermione closed her mouth and scowled. She never liked not knowing something. It was always good to have an idea of what to expect. "Right. So what do we say, then?"

"St. Isis."

"What? Where is that?-Oh sorry. You can't tell us," Ron said sarcastically.

"That's right. So who's up first?"

There was a pause, before Harry stepped forward and took a handful of dark powder. It seeped from his fingers slowly, but he ignored the trail of grains; knowing that Molly would have a word with him when he returned about making a mess. Turning to face the others he said in a sharp voice, "St. Isis."

Flames of green engulfed him and he disappeared with a small pop. "Alright whose next?"

Harry felt the pop of his presence and he opened his eyes to see the blinding light of the setting sun through a large window just outside of the small fireplace. He stepped out carefully and dusted some soot from his blue t-shirt while drinking in the room around him. It was a large room with tables lined in rows with a clean white tile floor stretching out like a dance floor. At the far wall, just off from two large grey doors, was a cafeteria that looked to be busy with a few people cooking up food for the empty room. Another pop turned his attention to see Ron come stumbling out of the fireplace while coughing violently. Once he calmed he looked up to Harry with watery eyes. "I forgot to hold my breath when I went," he cleared his throat. "Dad really needs to clean our fire pit out. Too much travelling."

"You think, Ron?"

Hermione followed out with Lupin bringing up the rear. He glanced around while straightening his patched up jacket and started walking towards the salty grey doors.

"Umm, where is this?" Hermione questioned. It was surprisingly clean with the small linger of bleach in the air. Remus opened the doors and held it for the three to walk through. "This is St. Isis Hospital. Similar to St. Mungo's, except considerably smaller. It actually much more subtle then what you would have at Mungo's."

"Really? I've never heard of it," Hermione commented as they walked down a hall where a few nurses nodded curtly as they passed.

"Well that's not surprising. This is not much of a public hospital. Actually this is more of the emergency hospital then what you would find in Mungo's. Some of the best doctors and surgeons of the magical world work here… with the exception of Madam Pomfrey, of course." There was a pause as they turned the corner. "Actually I remember James being sent here after a terrible stunt on his broom. It was quite a disaster."

Harry grinned. "Luckily that hasn't happened to me yet."

"Hmm, yes be grateful for that one."

"So… Who exactly is here that we're seeing? I mean I thought you said it was "something good" and I haven't heard anything of the sort yet," Ron clarified.

"Well," Remus said as he stopped at a door with a blue label on the wall amid files hanging just below E16. "Why don't you see for yourself? But I must warn you that it will be a shock and I don't want any yelling, or jinx throwing, understand?"

Harry gave a wary glance to the others, and Lupin took that as a sign that it was agreed as he turned back to the door. Two soft knocks later he cracked the door open and peaked his head inside. "I brought visitors to see you," he said imploringly.

The man in the room looked up and smiled from where he sat up in the dankly hospital bed. "Well don't stand in the doorway Remus, come in," came his scratchy voice that sounded as if it hadn't been used in a while.

Remus obeyed and opened the door to step in with the hesitant three following behind. Harry was the first who walked to the room, but one glance to the man in the bed and he stopped dead in his tracks. Green eyes widened to its limit, convincing Remus that they very well would fall out, but they stayed where they were and the color drained from his face. Hermione and Ron looked questioningly at Harry who still blocked their way before pulling their gaze to the bed. "W-w-what…. The Hell?" Ron stuttered under his breath.

Well at least there was some reaction coming from _him_, Remus mused. "Harry," the man in the center of the room breathed as if testing the name on his lips. "It's been too long." The sound of a thud hit behind Harry who didn't register it until a shuffle of clothes and Hermione kneeled to the passed out Ron. But the dark haired boy merely spared a glance at his friend with Remus shaking his head dispassionately.

"S-Sirius? But I thought…. I saw…How is this possible?"

"Long story," his hoarse reply came. Without him knowing, Harry's legs started walking towards the side of the bed before taking a long look at his god father. His face was gaunt, with cheeks hollowed in and his hair was much longer; falling past his shoulders. He eyes looked tired, sunken, and glazed in an unusual dull form, but there was that ghost of a smile among his chapped lips that cracked to the slightest, allowing blood to trickle.

"So this isn't a dream?"

"If it was then I wouldn't want to wake up," Sirius teased with the tilt of his head. "I've had enough dreams these past two years."

"What's going on? If this is some joke, I swear-"

"This is no joke, Hermione," Lupin assured.

"Ah, Hermione," greeted Sirius as he finally noticed that Harry wasn't the only one other than Remus there. "Are you going to come say hi to me?"

Hermione glance warily to Ron who was still on the ground then back to the man in the bed. "Oh, don't worry about him," he waved his hand nonchalantly. "He'll wake up in a while."

"What is going on? I saw you die…." Harry said slowly, still staring in awe at Sirius's body. He hadn't made a step closer, not sure whether this was still a dream, let alone a trick. "I-I saw her hit you with the killing curse…"

"Tell me…" he said calmly. He really looked tired and worn as he gazed up to Harry. "What do you remember of the night?"

"I was over with Neville and you were mocking Bellatrix," at this, Sirius grinned cheekily. "Then you were hit with a red spell-"

"That's it Harry-" he interrupted before Remus raised his hand to stop him from continuing.

"Let him finish, Padfoot."

"Right. Go ahead, continue."

"Er…That's when… you went through the veil and….disappeared…"

"And what of that made you think I was dead?"

Harry's eyes shot towards his, but even through the dull glaze, he saw mirth. "Well…er…You didn't come out and the look on your face… it was…I knew it had to be but I didn't want to believe it…"

"No," Lupin confirmed as he placed a hand onto Harry's shoulder firmly. "We hadn't expected him to live either. So it was a common and well reason judgment."

"You're jus' covering your mistake at not knowing I was alive," Sirius teased.

"Am not," he defended with a look of mock hurt.

"Then what exactly…happened," Hermione chimed in from her spot next to Ron.

Again Sirius's eyes landed to her. "Why are you still over with him? I said he would be fine."

"Oh." Harry's look of disbelief finally ebbed from his expression and he leaned to Siruis's ear to whisper something. Sirius's eyes widened in the slightest before a bark of laughter pushed from him. It was hoarse and cracked, but it still had that same charm that only Sirius Black could posses.

"Oh, that's great! I always thought there was something between you two," he said to Hermione whose cheeks flushed but she still gave a small smile.

Lupin shook his head and walked back to her side with his wand out. "Episkey." Ron suddenly jolted up with a strange squeak and gripping his forearm.

"OW! That bloody hurt."

"No it didn't," Hermione sighed.

"Well it felt funny."

"That doesn't mean it hurt you."

"Psh… details."

"Ron," she snapped when she saw him roll his eyes.

"Ehem," Remus cleared his throat.

Both looked to him before turning their attention to Harry and Sirius. With his mouth dropping low and his hand pointing accusingly, Ron gawked at Black. "He's… He's alive!"

"Yes, we already covered that when you were resting," Lupin said shortly.

Standing to his feet he walked over to stand beside Harry with his face pale of color and eyes never leaving Sirius. Ron swallowed once before slowly raising his hand to the bed, ignoring the strange looks he was receiving from the others until he quickly with force, poked his finger into Sirius's knee before jumping back as if he had been burned. "H-he's not a ghost, Harry," he whispered urgently.

Poor Harry wasn't sure he should laugh or agree with his red-haired friend. Sirius was a little confused over the action as well as he stared at Ron as if he had grown an extra head with a single purple eye. "Did he get hit by a bludger or something?"

"It's questionable," Hermione sighed.

"Well, let's not waste anymore time." Lupin clapped his hands together and took refuge on the other side of Sirius. "Explanations are in order, and I promised Molly I would have them back for supper."

"Still bossing everyone around, is she?"

"Oh, sometimes I had envied you in this bed with your ears away from her," Lupin sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "But she means well. A lot has happened since you were last conscious, remember?"

"Wait, so you were alive this whole time?" Harry questioned.

"Well you can't bring back the dead now, can you?"

"But you told me he was dead." His voice was rising as was his temper. How was it possible that his Godfather was still alive and no one bothered o tell him? Instead they had lied to his face!

"Harry, we thought he had died. We hadn't expected his body to appear in a completely different room two floors up in the Ministry."

"But that doesn't mean--….what?"

"After the whole ordeal was over," Lupin began as the others gathered closer. "Many of us returned to help repair the building. Myself and Kingsley went to the top floors to take care of a few walls and stairs. There was one wall in particular that was crumbled in fairly well for a spell so we went to attend to that first. Apparently the room that was attached was a small library where we found Padfoot's body lying in the middle of the floor."

"How did he get up there though?" Ron asked. "I can't imagine You-know-who taking him up there to play _'Hide Black'_."

"We only assume that the veil transported him to safety. It still isn't known how the strange arch works. For some it kills, others, well…"

"Transports?"

"So it seems. Long story short, we took him to St. Mungo's to have him healed, but after many tries, he wouldn't wake up." Lupin saw Harry look thoughtfully to Sirius who had closed his eyes and was leaning back, but it was still clear he was listening, though Lupin had already discussed the whole ordeal with him. "They said he was in a coma and whether he was going to wake up or not wasn't clear… We didn't want to worry you Harry. Much less get your hopes up. With everything going on, there was no need for you to be distracted."

Harry stared at Lupin with understanding. No matter how much he tried to be angry at him, he couldn't find it in him. He knew he should have felt angry that he went two years believing that his godfather had died, and that he still could have visited, but with this last year, it could have only caused more problems right? Either way he gave a nod to show he understood.

"Two years later and here I am!" Sirius snickered. "They just can't get rid of me, can they?"

"Looks like we'll have to tie his ankles to a boulder and through him in a lake," whispered Lupin to Ron teasingly. "I don't think a dog can hold his breath that long."

Ron laughed with color returning to his face and Harry couldn't help the bubble of enjoyment that rushed over him. Hermione though, let out a sharp gasp and tossed a pointed glare to Lupin then back to Siruis who was smiling at the joke. "That's not funny! Am I honestly the only one who thinks we shouldn't be joking about that?"

"You sound like Molly," Sirius grinned but started to cough with his face screwing in pain. Harry's smile vanished and he leaned forward with a concern hand on the dark man's shoulders.

"You alright, mate?" Ron questioned with a look of pure fear as if this man's solid form was going to turn liquid at any moment.

"Fine," he waved off.

"After two years of bed rest, it turns out that there is a lot of stress put on the body when you awake up. It's only been four days since he came to, but the nurse said he should be back to his normal self by next week," Lupin explained.

"I'll be like new by Friday."

This comment was ignored by Harry who looked to Lupin. "When can he come back?"

"Well the start of next week, but he will still need rest for a few days after that until he can regain his strength."

"Don't worry, Harry. I'll be home first thing Friday morning-"

"You will not," Harry replied with a shake of his head. "You're too reckless. I can't have you actually killing yourself before you get home."

"Harry's right," Hermione confirmed. "You're going to heal and you're going to do it properly. If I find you at the Burrow before you're let go, then I'll jinx you myself."

"Right…." He said slowly. "You've been hanging with Molly for too long."

"Get used to it, mate." Ron grinned.

"Excuse me?" Hermione asked inquisitively to her red-headed friend.

"Not you. I was talking 'bout Mum."

"Mmmhm."

"Honest I was. Tell her Harry."

Harry sighed, not liking that he was being pulled into it. "Whatever you say Ron."

"See?" he said happily as if it cleared everything up. Hermione gave a shake of her head and smiled.

"Well, we should be off now." Lupin stood up from where he sat and patted Sirius on his shoulder. "Try not to harass the nurses now."

Sirius pulled his signature curl-you-toes grin. "Ah. When I get a good cleaning up, they will be the ones harassing me."

Hermione reached across Harry and playfully tapped Sirius on the head. "Be nice."

"Alright-alright."

"See ya soon, mate," Ron said as he followed Hermione out and Lupin trailing behind.

"Can I visit later?" Harry asked once he was alone with his godfather.

"I don't think that would be the best now would it? Mooney told me everything that has happened and if the Floo Network isn't as safe as it once was then I wouldn't want something to happen to you."

"But you would still do it if I was in your situation," he argued.

Again Sirius laughed but the pain in his chest cut it off short. "Yes, well. Look where I've ended up. Doesn't mean I'll change, but let's hope you don't pick up any habits, agreed?"

"… If you say so-"

"I do. But no worries. I'll be back next week."

"Right. I'll see you then." Harry turned back and walked to the door but was stopped by his voice.

"Harry…" the said boy turned around. "You've gotten taller."

A smile broke through before Harry closed the door behind him and he walked to meet the others. Sirius frowned and leaned back in his bed. He was so tired and his body felt like it hadn't been used… then again it hadn't but surely it wasn't supposed to feel like Azkaban all over again, right? The silence that filled the room was peaceful but lacked that little spark when he was with his friends. _Only one more week_, he repeated to himself. One more week and he was as free as a bird… or dog. Either way it was much better then before he got the blasted coma.

Now that Voldemort and all others thought he was dead… not to mention that according to Remus and Kingsley, his name had been cleared after his death by the Ministry… _the pricks_… he had the freedom to walk out in public and not be blasted at. No more hiding in his mother's-or his- house. No more bored days. Just one more week and he could help in the war like he hadn't been able to before with Harry by his side. Lupin had a family to look after now and Sirius couldn't help but feel the same protection he had when he was with James and Lily. The boy's name was Teddy if he remembered correctly. Leave it up to Remus and Tonks to come up with that name. Always reminded Sirius of a _teddy_ bear. "Hopefully it won't be like his dad and have fur too," he said aloud. Nevertheless, surely this was the start of something new.

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"Who trailed powder across the floor into the fireplace?" huffed a flustered Molly once every one had returned from St. Isis. With hands on her hips and foot tapping, Harry saw the chunks of mashed potatoes caked onto her left shoulder and pieces hanging off of her curly red-hair. Tonks came rushing in with her wand drawn out before a quick swipe through the air left the potatoes to disappear. Obviously, clumsy Tonks had spilled the food again and Molly was in the line of fire.

"I'm so sorry, Molly—It was that stupid chair that got me," Tonks apologized.

"Don't fuss over it."

"Sorry, about the mess, Molly," Remus smiled sheepishly. "My hands were so shaky when I took the powder… not enough sleep the past few nights."

Harry looked expectantly at Lupin. He had yet again taken the blame for him…

The lie bought them time as Molly pondered before nodding her head. "Alright, it's nothing that I was worried about. I thought it was that owl of Ron's still trying to nest in the powder."

"Mum he stopped that habit long ago."

"Doesn't mean he won't start it again." With that she turned with Tonks and they went back to the kitchen. "Supper is ready everyone!"

"Great, I'm starving," Ron muttered as they went to the large table through the doorway.

"Thanks for that," Harry said as he took a seat next to Ron and Lupin sat across from them.

"Not a problem. She's still trying to get over…" he trailed off.

"Fred? Go ahead and say it," Ron assured.

"Yes. Well Fred's death was a terrible blow to all of us." Lupin sat back in his chair and pulled a napkin into his collar as Tonks and Molly walked and took a seat. The sound of footsteps rushed down the stairs and Luna, Ginny, and George walked in.

"Mmm it smells delicious," Luna said in her very normal, for her, dreamy voice.

"It sure does," Goerge grinned and plopped a seat next to Lupin and Molly. Tonks sat on the other side of Lupin with a stool holding little Teddy near her, but he was sleeping soundly. "He had a big day," Tonks told Remus who smiled at his son. "Was playing with Ginny and Luna all day."

"He's such an angel," Ginny smiled, turning Harry's attention to her as she sat next to him. Her hair had grown longer but her freckles that he had grown to love so much were still placid. The sweet smell of strawberries hit him and he felt a smile curl his lips as she talked about what they did with Teddy and all the magic that he loved to watch. Lupin nodded as he listened and Molly only smiled while she started serving everyone.

"Where's dad at?" Ron asked as he took the vegetables from her.

"He's bringing what's-his-name over, remember?" George reminded. "Or did you already forget?"

"No, I thought he was back already is all," he grumbled in reply.

"George, Ron, I want you to be polite to our guest. He has had a rough start, but I think he's coming around just fine," Molly commented.

"Molly's right. Everyone has their own pace so you'll have to try and find a level ground with him," Lupin informed.

"But he could be a spy-"

"Ron, we've been through this enough times," Ginny sighed. "Just give him a chance."

Ron shook his head. "What if he goes back to _them_? Harry, you believe me right?"

"I'm not sure where I stand on it, actually," he dead-panned. "He was supposed to kill Dumbledore, but he refused to, after knowing that he would be punished… or better yet killed."

Ron scowled but didn't push the subject. He knew Harry wasn't going to trust their "guest" so that let the thought settle easier.

"So, Harry. Tell us how Sirius is doing," Molly said cheerfully.

"Sirius? Sirius Black?" Ginny said as she dropped her spoon with a clatter on the plate. Harry grinned at her look of shock that he found cute.

"Yeah. He wasn't killed like we thought. Apparently he was in a coma for the last two years."

"Oh, that's so great!" Ginny squealed wrapped her arms around Harry's neck, nearly knocking him off the chair. His arm came around her waist to balance himself-among other things, but she pulled back quickly once she realized what she was doing at the dinner table no less. A fine blush tinted her cheeks but she tried to play it off. "When is he coming?"

"Next week," Harry answered as he scooted back to the table and fixed his glasses while Hermione giggled to herself.

"That soon? Well I'm happy for you Harry," Molly said happily as she placed a napkin in her lap.

"In a coma for two years?" Luna mused aloud, completely un-phased by the news. "Oh I can only imagine the amount of Wrackspurt hiding in his head. I'll have to take care of him when he comes."

"Riiight," George dragged on before looking to Harry. "So how did he survive? I thought that Lestrange killed him."

"Not at all," Lupin intervened. "The veil had transported his body to another room in the Ministry, but it wasn't until recently that he had woken up."

A creak at the door and a few foot falls were heard. "Molly, we're back from Bradford," called Arthur from the door while Molly stood from her seat and walked in to great her husband.

"Bradford?" Harry questioned.

"Yeah. That's were they had to pick him up. Kingsley had him in a flat there so that the Death Eaters wouldn't catch hold of him," came his response from George.

Before anyone could say anything else, Arthur walked to the dining room with his pea-coat draped over his arm and Molly at his heels. His nose was a tinted pink and his lips a slight blue. "A bit chilly tonight," he commented as he took a seat at the head of the table next to Molly and Luna. "How is everyone tonight?"

A few people opened their mouths to say something, but his attention left them towards another presence walking through the doorway. "Come, come, Draco. No need to be nervous," he waved in. He gave a pointed look to Ron and George- clearly warning them about their manners.

Draco stepped in, looking much like Harry in the way he hadn't gotten much sleep. With his pale complexion, his dark rings under his eyes were apparent and he looked a little skinnier. The dark clothes contrasted his straggly blonde locks that were in a messy fashion, complimenting his aristocratic features. With his collar turned up and his long sleeves rolled halfway up his arms, it was clear he was rather trying to pull of the rockstar look…or hiding something. At the full sight of his thin figure, Molly picked up his plate across the table and began to eagerly pile food up while he carefully took a seat next to Teddy. "Here you are, dear," she said and handed him the plate that he gratefully took.

He set it down in front of him and stared at it as if in thought; completely aware of all the eyes on him. Finally lifting his head he nodded once with a "Thank you."

"Oh, nonsense," she smiled. "You look thinner then a whippet. I would've thought Kingsley would've fed you proper, that man."

"Now don't go blaming Kingsley. He's a busy man, isn't that right Draco?" Arthur inclined kindly.

"Yes, sir. He's been gone nearly every night for some business."

"_Some_ business?" Ron couldn't help but repeat. "You mean jobs for the Order? I don't expect he told you where he went?"

For the first time Draco looked to Ron and the others at the table; and although a small sneer started to cross his face, he didn't reply with angry words as expected. "He told me a few assignments he was taking up, but the rest he didn't say."

"…" Ron looked utterly dumbfounded at the lack of spiteful words. Was Draco actually acting civilized? All he could think to say was… "Oh."

Harry felt the awkward silence start to birth and he eagerly sat up in his chair. After the news of Sirius being alive, he was in no mood to let this ruin his uplifted spirit. Apparently neither was Luna.

"How was your trip here, Malfoy?"

The man shot his head to Harry and he visibly bristled. "Don't call me that."

Harry was taken aback for a moment before nodding. "Right. Well let's start over." This was easier said then done and the last statement had more then one reason. According to the Order, they were now allies. They had to start finding level ground as they said earlier. "How was your trip, Draco."

The narrowed grey eyes softened, surprisingly and his shoulders slouched. "It was a nice night to fly. Perfect for a game of quidditch."

"Quidditch? At night?" Hermione asked as if he was mental. "Those bludgers are trouble enough during the daylight—why on earth would you want to play at night?"

"It's a guy thing," Ron answered, knowing it would get under her skin.

"It wouldn't be wise to play out there now," Arthur said. "You'll catch a cold and Molly will never let you live it down."

"Oh pish-posh. Everyone get's sick," Molly replied. "If these two get sick then they'll get better soon enough."

A pause filled the room and all that was heard was silverware against plates. The strange comment didn't get by most of them, but they didn't say a word. After Molly had lost Fred, she was going through her own healing. Fred and George had always gotten ill, hurt, or into trouble on a daily basis where she had to tend to them and enhance her more motherly protectiveness. Now however, it seemed to have slowed to a slow crawl with only George and the other kids, who were busy in their own ways that didn't include experiments-gone-wrong.

"This is really good," Luna said in her dreamy voice.

"Why thank you Luna," Molly said. "Tonks had made most of it."

"Yes… Then made a terrible mess."

"Don't worry about it," Mrs. Weasley waved off.

"So what have you been up to since I've been gone?" Arthur said as he pulled out a biscuit from the plate. "No one had any broom accidents or spells backfire?"

"Oh, no," Luna assured. "Though I think you had Snigles in your room. They like to scurry around under the floor boards and steal you left socks."

Arthur stared at her before looking around the table quickly then back to her. "Is that so? Well how do they know which sock is the left one?"

"My father says it's the odor. You're right foot always has a sweeter smell to it. Snigles have large noses to detect the slightest smell that we can't."

"That is… fascinating. Tell me, what does your father think about muggle inventions?"

The conversation began to grow around the table as each person found their own topic of interest. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were talking about Sirius and what they could do as a welcome home. Ginny was already in a fast paced conversation with Lupin about her sudden interest in the werewolf's behavior and had finally worked the nerve to ask him. He was at first a little hesitant at the random, not to mention troublesome topic, but after they broke the ice, the information came, his worries settled, and the conversation picked up. George was bouncing from conversation to conversation as he always was; once bored with one topic, he turned to the next. His mind could only stay entertained for so long. He found that the most abnormal talk was Luna and his parents which was no surprise to the red-head but he only scooted closer to find his own place in the discussion.

Draco, however was silent… almost grim as he pushed food around on his plate. There wasn't much he could talk about with these people. It was very much like a wall that separated him and the cheerful group that sat before him, not to mention that he wasn't used to a family dinner quite like this. Not only were they full of mirth and light, but they were comfortable around each other. It was a light-hearted aura that surrounded them and yet here he was, not eating, not talking… Not knowing where to start with this new place. How did one start over when all he could think about was that these people were keeping him safe with their arms open after all he had said and done to them? He didn't deserve this. He deserved to die after all he had been pulled through. To think that he had no place to turn to… His father would kill him, and these people had a life of their own. Where did he go from here?

Just the thought of his father made him sick. Everything he knew and believed in had been a lie. All he had known was false and he couldn't do anything about it. The strong burn of vile rose towards his throat but he pushed it down with a deep and much needed breath. It wouldn't do any good to get sick here. All he wanted was to sleep.

Draco dropped his spoon and made to take his plate to the kitchen when the little baby next to him began to cry. This startled him as he jumped and his hand flexed instinctively to his wand. Before he knew it, he had the wand pointing at the baby so fast that his own chair had fallen behind him. The room went eerily silent and everyone looked to Draco. Tonks's eyes went wide at first until she saw the startled expression plastered to Draco's pale features. Realizing his own mistake, he started to lower his wand until out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ron move towards his own.

"I knew you were a liar! You'll actually attack a helpless baby? Why am I not surprised, you git," Ron hissed.

"It's fine," Tonks said before anyone else could chime in. She turned her attention to Draco. "It's fine… All it was, was an accident, right, Remus?"

He nodded, though his keen eyes stuck to Draco's wand that was still out and gripped in white knuckles.

"Are you serious-" Ron and George started, but was silenced with a glared from Molly.

"Just put your wand away, Draco. No one is angry." Her voice was calm and her hair naturally turned to a light blue, almost matching her sparkling eyes. With a calm smile, she reached to Draco and set his arm at his side, shaking him from his trance.

"S-sorry," he muttered before leaving in a rush up stairs.

"What a git," Ron started as he sat back in his seat.

"Ron, it isn't his fault," Lupin sighed as he looked to Tonks who held Teddy in her arms. "He's been through a lot."

"So have we! Look at Harry. He doesn't go around pointing wands at babies."

"It was just a startle. Just give him time to adjust."

"…Er what happened to him exactly?" Harry finally asked.

"Yeah. All you have told us was that he wasn't with the Death Eaters anymore after Snape brought him to Kingsley," Hermione added.

"Well, you have to remember who his father is," Arthur said as he leaned his arms on the table. "According to Severus, Draco found out-"

"That isn't a conversation for now," Molly interrupted.

"They have a right to know," Lupin reminded with Tonks nodding in agreement.

"Alright-alright. I'll start cleaning up."

"I'll help," Ginny and Luna offered. They could still listen as they pulled plates away.

"So what happened?" Ginny pushed as she started collecting plates. Harry shortly after stood up and started as well.

"Draco hadn't wanted to kill Dumbledore nor did he want to help Voldemort in anyway," Lupin started. "It wasn't until the attack at Hogwarts that he realized he had no desire to be around the Death Eaters. Unlike them he had morals, no matter how deep they are hidden."

Ron snorted which earned him an elbow by Hermione. Lupin continued as if he hadn't heard a thing. "It wasn't until right after we retreated- that night I think- that Lucuis lost all self control and ran a dagger through his wife."

"……..What?"

"It's true. Draco had seen the whole thing," Molly added as she pulled up a few pots. "Anyone who serves the You-know-who has to have lost their mind at some point, I suppose."

"Yeah," Ron said quietly.

"That's horrible," Ginny commented before bumping into Harry who had stopped in his tracks.

"Sorry," he muttered.

"It's fine."

"So what happened? Did he try and kill Draco?" Hermione asked though she wasn't sure if she wanted to know.

"We're not sure what the interaction between his father and him was but he went straight to Severus and told him. He was particularly close to Narcissus, with her being the only one who treated him respectfully," Arthur commented. "Not to mention that Draco is his godchild."

"Oh that's right," Hermione remembered.

"Afterwards, Severus helped his get away before Lucius came to his senses and went after. Since then Draco has been a target to You-know-who."

"That's terrible. For him to see his mother murdered by his own father… And he trusted his father too," Luna mused aloud.

"Great…" Ron muttered. Now he felt stupid. Hermione seemed to know this as she put and arm round him.

Harry let his eyes wonder back to the stairs where Draco had disappeared to and sighed. He hadn't expected this to be an emotional roller coaster. First Sirius then Draco… Maybe tonight he could get some sleep…

**Tadaa! Hope you liked it! Please review and tell me what you think!! Next time we'll see what's going on with my OC Milo…**

**Flames are welcomed but please be prepared for a flame in return ^^ Thank you!! **

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	2. Inner Demons

**Hey! There! Chapter 2 is here! Let's see what is going on with the Death Eaters, shall we? ^^**

**Disclaimer… Neither I, nor any of my other personalities, own Harry Potter. We are content to merely borrow them to fulfill our own dark desires, and then let them scamper off back home to their creator essentially unharmed**

A figure with long blonde locks rolled over his shoulders as he pulled his dark cloak over his carmine suite but it didn't offer much protection from the cold driplets of rain that trailed down his neck. Slowly he made his way to the hillside where a shadowed manor stood against dark skies and the inkling of a light through a window shone brightly as if lighting the way. A sudden lightning strike and its accompanying crack of thunder were echoed through the frigid night air. The rain seemed to pelt harder with every closing step, while reducing visibility. But he was almost there. He knew these lands after the many visits to his late wife's sister. It was only natural. Just the thought of his now deceased wife was enough to etch a disappointed scowl across his smooth features. She was a fool that deserved her death… He just hadn't expected to loose his son as well.

Slowly, the silhouette of the man sauntered up the steps that were dimmed and hardly visible through the dark. Reaching the door, the silhouette shifted and raised a hand before knocking his knuckles to the wood in a session of simply three times. He stood there, in silence, and looked back from where he had came from only for a lightning to strike through the skies and disappear, illuminating the hundreds of trees. The shuffling of feet brought his attention to the door where the slide of a peephole slid and a single dark eye peered out to see the guest. He waited for her to close it, but she merely stared at him for passing seconds before huffing disdainfully. She disappeared once more and the sound of the lock was all he waited for just as the door opened to reveal his sister-in-law.

"Back so soon, Lucius?" she said in a mocking tone with a hand on her hip and hand on the door. "I was unaware that you were so fancied with my godchild."

The comment was meant as an insult, but Malfoy only took it in stride. "Are you going to invite me in, Bellatrix? Or are you going to have me wait out here?"

"Have you come in?" she repeated with a raise of her brows. "Ha! Why would I want my carpet to get wet from you?" she sneered. When Lucius didn't answer she merely studied him with narrowed eyes and a catlike grin spread her lips before she left the walkway with the door open for her guest.

Gracefully as any pureblood, he stepped in and closed the door while pulling his drenched cloak off and hanging it on a small rack. The air was considerably much warmer and had a small musky odor that he found familiar whenever he was near Bellatrix. If at all the air was only in the slightest bit fogged, perhaps from cooking he mused. Following the wall that led to a doorway, he stepped into the living room where the light had been seen from his travel up to the manor. "Please have a seat," came the same rude voice. "Don't want you to be uncomfortable in the slightest, now do we?"

Dark green eyes looked to his sister-in-law and narrowed at her smug smirk. She sat in her own lounge chair, slouched with one leg over the other and her hands hanging off the arm rests on either side. She watched him ignore her as he sauntered to the fireplace and considered the large painting of the Lestrange family portrait. She stood in the back with her late husband beside her with his hand gracing the shoulder of her raven black dress that hugged her small frame. Her hair was still as curly and chaotic as ever, though it looked as if she had it under a bit of control at that time. Then again by the time the portrait was painted, she still had a good grasp on her sanity…

"Why are you here? I told you that she isn't interested in you," she said quietly with an edgy tone.

Lucius pulled his gaze from the painting and stared at Bellatrix who glared under her brows with her head bowed, every bit of a predator. If there was one thing that he had learned since she had come from Azkaban, it was that she was protective of her godchild in a way that he didn't think possible. Of course the Dark Lord only found it amusing when the crazy woman nearly killed him when he had gotten too close to the "child"… How she came to be in charge of the kid's well being was beyond him. But it wasn't all bad. He had a little more liberty to still come around for a visit… "The Dark Lord has a new task…"

"Hmm?" she smiled. "And what would it be? Kill a few more muggles? Check into Hogwarts and make sure the teachers are obeying the Dark Lord's wishes?"

"Not exactly." He turned to face her and took a seat in a chair across from her. "It's a task for your godchild. Her past…" a pause as he searched for the word, "…_kills_ have caught the Dark Lord's interests."

He let it settle as he watched her smile slowly disappear and she contemplated something. Finally, she smacked her lips together loudly and stood up. "Is that so? What does he find interesting about her?"

"You know the answer. She isn't the strongest, much less, skilled witch, but she does have a thirst for blood when her life is on the line. Just like her father," he informed and leaned against the armrest with his elbow bent to hold up his head casually. "Not to mention that it was you who taught her most of her magic that made her the killer she is."

"Well," she said with a twist of her hips and a raise of her brows. "As true as that is, I want to know what her mission is."

"That is between her and the Dark Lord."

"But you know it."

"…"

There was silence and a chestire like grin curled her black painted lips. "Tell me, Lucius."

He only stared for five full seconds that dragged on before he sighed, "When she comes down I will explain shortly to both of you."

Bellatrix licked her lips delicately before leaving without another word and swaggering up the creaking stair case to leave Lucius to his thoughts. An eager grin took form and he felt the bubble of excitement rush like a wave. It was refreshing… something that tingled through his body addictively; for the stoic man, there wasn't much in the world that could stir such a reaction. Even his wife failed to create any emotion outside of the usual. He was bored with his domestic life… the only excitement he got was when he went so far as to kill Narcissa for her incompetence. How long ago was it? It seemed like yesterday, but it was going on three weeks. His excitement suddenly sank. The thought of the murder always had that effect. It wasn't the death of Narcissa that killed his joy, but the fact that Draco had seen him do it. If he hadn't then he would still be there with him serving the Dark Lord. But instead, the pureblood prince had disappeared… Nights after he had searched, but the chase grew bothersome and he only grew angry by each day until Voldemort finally told him to leave the boy. It wasn't until two weeks ago that Snape reported back and told him he had found Draco, but he was currently with the Order of the Phoenix. The damn boy was among the traitors. And then Snape had to get himself killed when he refused to give information. What was he thinking! Wasn't Draco aware that going with the enemy only warranted his death? The Dark Lord wouldn't spare him. If anything, the death would be slow and painful.

But it was his son's choice to make and it would be his burden to carry. Lucius would have nothing to do with him anymore. Instead he would have to have a new heir to the Malfoy name. Pureblood of course. And that was what he intended to do. Of course, such plans would have to wait just the slightest bit longer, for the mission took top priority. Not to mention that he would have to get around Bellatrix, which in itself would be troublesome. But no matter. The woman of the hour was finally here.

The creaking of the stairs moaned again at the presence of Bellatrix entered the room with another young woman at her heels. Suddenly, realizing who the presence of the "guest" was, she stopped in mid step and instantly her eyes narrowed darkly; a glare worthy of only the purebloods.

Lucius took this time to study the woman before him as Bellatrix sat heavily on her silently claim seat and watched. The interacting between the two never ceased to amuse her; after all she got an enjoyment out of watching Lucius be rejected. Even with her calm demeanor at the present point, she still had a hand itching to grab her wand. After the incident between Lucius and her god_child_, she was in no mood to have a repeat. The Dark Lord was not here to make sure she didn't kill the Malfoy this round.

Lucuis studied the woman who stood in the doorway with a keen grin that made her insides churn uncomfortably. It was more then apparent that she had no respect for this man, much less any tolerance. "What do you want?" she asked in a lyrically strong voice.

Lucius chuckled. "Straight to the point are we? You always were blunt."

"You haven't known me long enough to say what I am_ always_ _like_," she retorted.

"Maybe I just wanted to visit you… You wouldn't have a problem with that I hope…"

"Piss off!" she snarled. Spinning on her heels with her long brunette locks cascading down her back, she made a few steps back upstairs before his voice stopped her.

"The Dark Lord has a task for you."

_S_he mentally snarled while stopping on mid step but turned around and stepped back to the warm living room reluctantly.

"Get to the point." She crossed her arms over her chest, unintentionally pushing her breast together. Lucius took a quick glance at her attire; deep emerald long sleeve shirt with pitch black jeans that hugged her hips. It wasn't often that he didn't see her without her cloak to hide her small frame and he always made note to drink in her appearance. Her young face stared defiantly at him with shadows from the fire dancing along her pale complexion. She was only 28 years old but even that fact didn't keep Bellatrix from keeping her under her thumb. The possessive and spiteful woman still referred to this "girl" as her "godchild" when clearly she was not even a teen anymore. Realizing that she was still waiting for an explanation, albeit impatiently, he continued where he left off.

"You're job is to kill a few targets to show your loyalties. The Dark Lord has the finer details of the assignment when you meet with him, but it will have something to do with a few mudbloods. And if you want to know," he started when he saw her open her mouth to say something. "…why _you_ were the one he chose for this task, then it is simple. You made it more then apparent that you were shaken up on the last killing assignment," he added smugly.

The woman visibly flinched, not liking the memories that returned with that comment. She hated to admit it but he was right. Though she had killed many in her short four years since she learned magic, she was finding it harder and harder to finish the tasks given to her. This wasn't a good habit to get into if she valued her life. The Dark Lord expected excellence seeing as Bellatrix was her mentor for the dark arts. Apparently he was looking for another lunatic killer that followed him obediently.

"I'm not sure when he wants you. It could be in the next hour, tomorrow or two weeks from now. You know how it is," he added. Her glower didn't turn away.

"Is that it?" His piercing gaze drilled through her and she couldn't help the uncomfortable shift on her feet, although her glare stayed strong. All she wanted was to escape his presence and leave back to her room where she could find some peace.

Lucuis ignored her question and turned to Bellatrix who savored his disappointed frown. "Are you teaching her to behave so rudely to guests?"

"I teach her dark magic, not manners, Lucius. Maybe that's where you went wrong with poor Draco…" she dragged in a purr.

That struck a nerved and his frown grew. She knew she was in for disappointing lecture, but it was just a game for her; one that she specialized at. With a catlike grin, she glanced to the doorway to find it empty where her "godchild" had disappeared from. She would deal with her later.

Milo Ashten snuck carefully up the stairs to her room. She felt like a teenager-always disappearing behind the door and only coming out when needed. But if you lived in an eerie manor will Bellatrix Lestrange for company, then who would blame you for hiding away? Let's face it; the bedroom was a much safer place that allowed her to keep some hold of what was left of her sanity. As quietly as possible, so not to draw attention to herself, she closed her door behind her and released a sigh that filled the silence before disappearing. She was too tired of all this fighting. All she wanted was to go and experience something out there other then death and bloodshed. Was magic such a good thing? Was it this great blessing that everyone made it out to be? If so then she hadn't seen it yet. Don't get her wrong. She loved magic, but surely there was something she could learn that didn't involve _dark_ magic, right? Well that's what she always told herself; whether it was true or not had yet to be decided.

She didn't bother with turning on the light, due to her knowing the small room's layout by memory. All she was focused on was to clear her mind anyway possibly. The lightning pierced the clouds in the sky but the thunder that followed was muted by the distance. She carefully stepped through the piles of literature and sketch books that were sprawled across the hard wood floor as she reached the window and opened the shutters. The sweet smell of August rain spilled in whilst she carefully pulled a nearby blanket to fold on the splattered window sill. Her auburn hair cascaded over her shoulders to the middle of her back as she took her much regular seat on the edge of the window, with one leg bent and the other dangling inside the warmth of the room. Cold drip lets of rain speckled upon her jeaned leg and left shoulder, but the wind kept most of the water away. That was one reason why she admired the manor so much. It was almost built just for her. Inhaling the rainstorm aroma, she closed her eyes and tried to settle her thoughts. It would do no good to loose her temper now, no matter how much she wanted to find release in the ball of anger found in the pit of her stomach. The task had something to do with muggle borns…meaning that more death would come by her hands…

How had she gotten into such a mess? She lived a life on her own with occasional contact concerning other dark wizards. Her mother and father never allowed her to learn magic like a normal child, but instead taught her a few spells before their death came and took them away in her teen years. It was shortly after the fall of the Dark Lord that her parents resisted the Ministry that ended in them dying by laws hands, thus leaving her to inherit the house and family fortune. Life was good for a while after that. She did what she could with her faithful wand when she was alone. Life was starting to open up for her until only three years prior when the Dark wizard himself returned to what many believed to be Hell. And with him was his loyal Death Eaters that were close enough to her parents to be considered "family"; much to her chagrin. She hadn't resisted much when they came. She supposed that deep down, she had been waiting for them to return to her, being the reason why she agreed willingly…That and she wasn't a fool to say no on a "friendly" offer. It wasn't that she was afraid to serve the dark man, nor was she opposed to actually learn magic. The fear came from the self control that she had no hold over when her life was at stake and more importantly the Dark Lord's temper. When her emotions became too much, she just murdered all who attacked her. According to Bellatrix, her father was favored because of this… _instinct._

So where did this leave her? Following orders and killing witches and wizards that opposed her master. Death followed her but in battle and duels, it was muted and dulled to an insistent hum that you weren't even aware of. Killing was one thing that she could handle….. but not executions, which happened to be the previous task given to her and a few others. "Kill these wretched blood traitors."

And after a long pause and inner battle later……she did. She just hadn't expected her master to care so much about it to give her another task to "remedy" the hesitation. A Death Eater had no conscious. Sadly she was an exception at the moment…

Milo swallowed hard to keep tears from bleeding through. She wouldn't show this weakness. She was pulled into this unwilling but it wasn't like she had the courage to get out. The only "getting out" there was, mind you, was through the grim reaper himself and as the days passed and new battles fought, this grim reaper was looking more and more welcoming. She couldn't deny she was being eaten away from the inside out. The more she thought about it the heavier her heart became just as the downfall of rain from her window.

The rain always calmed her thoughts and tonight wasn't any different as she held a hand out and let the cold driplets beat against her exposed flesh. Again she took a deep breath of the rain's aroma and closed her eyes. Surely there was a way out of this without being hunted down like Draco… The poor boy had been through a lot and even though she had never spoke to him, she was aware that he too didn't want any part of this… Perhaps at one point, long ago, he had, but by the looks of it, she would never know the answer.

Milo allowed her hand to fall to her side and she leaned her head against the window frame. The Death Eaters had also suffered a loss of another comrade too. Severus… He was a mystery to her. Polite and quiet, he served the Dark Lord proudly, taking refuge at the top of his favored list. After Lucius had prodded him to tell the whereabouts of his son, he had bluntly refused, leading to his own death by the man he sworn his loyalty to so many times. That alone had erased all thoughts of backing out which wasn't like her. She was known for her fiery, hot headed personality which finally earned her some respect from her fellow Death Eaters and one blonde man's interest…

The door to her room opened suddenly, pulling her attention from the rain like a magnet. A shaft of light spilled across the floor with Lucius standing boldly in the doorway; showing why his Patronus took the form of a peacock. Milo glared at the intrusion, not in any mood to deal with his twisted words. "Bellatrix may allow you in her house, but you aren't welcomed in my room."

"Oh? So you're going to act like you are 5 years old then?"

"If it makes you leave then it makes no difference to me."

"I see." He ignored her and closed the door behind him before flipping on the light in the room. It was a small light that only illuminated a portion of the room while the other part stayed misted in shadows. The tall man sauntered over to the side of her small bed with dark blue sheets and wooden frame where an aged book with a worn spine rested. The title was rugged and faded, leaving no clue as to what the book hid behind its hard cover. Smirking, he ran his fingertips along the top of her sheets and pillow; watching out of the corner of his green eye as she bristled territorially. He only grinned and let his hand fall to his side while turning to face her and once again he was only met with the same burning glare as steel grey eyes watched his every move. Milo shifted in her seat, trying to keep herself from running out of the room when he started walking towards her. She hated these games of his, even more so now that it had become a habit, where she had yet to learn why he continued to do taunt her.

As Lucius stopped a few inches from her, she forcefully dragged her eyes to meet his, although all she wanted to do was hide from his green pair. Holding his gaze with her own had become exceedingly harder each time, but she kept a hold on her anger; gathering all the courage while her slender hand gripped the cool wood of her wand.

The movement, although subtle, made his grin turn to amusement. "Are you going to draw your wand against me? It wouldn't be wise," came his mock warning.

Milo found that her voice was locked inside her throat though she still had a good mind to jinx him; which he didn't need to know. Her thoughts were cut short as he stepped right next to her, still not touching. It was just his game that she was sure there was no way for her to win. This thought was only confirmed when he leaned over her with their faces just a breath away. "You don't have it in you…."

"Leave." She was proud her voice didn't crack under the stress. Lucius leaned closer sending her nerves spinning in her gut. Instinctively, she pushed away but became dangerously close to the edge of the window. Frigid rain spattered against her back and a shiver spent down her spine. With her anger growing she drew out her wand and sent a wordless jinx at him, but he was faster. Just as red sparks spurted from the tip of her wand, his hand shot out and deflected her wrist to the side before pulling his own wand out. The tip stabbed at her pulse under her jaw and she froze her struggle. A dark chuckle left him and he leaned forward, blonde hair curtaining around them, till he was only a breath away from her lips. The strange smell of foreign spice mixed with his own cologne wrapped around her and drowned the rain from her senses.

"Piss off-" but her demand was muted as his lips crashed to hers. Gunmetal grey eyes widened and heat rose to her cheeks. The kiss wasn't gentle and she could feel her anger bubble inside her though it wasn't until his tongue darted out to her tightly clenched lips that her rambling mind froze. Before he could even force the kiss deeper, the blonde man was blasted back across the room with an array of blue lights spouting from her wand. Milo boldly pushed from her seat at the window and with her wand by her side she walked to the man who struggled to his feet, expecting her to acknowledge him, but she continued past him and opened the door only to look expectantly to Lucius. The said man straightened his robes out with an unreadable expression bearing his aristocratic features. There was not any sympathy but instead a mutinous defiant stare that drilled into him.

_I'm not in control here_, he pondered as he studied her with heavy green eyes. _There are two nobles in this room….and she won't back down. _After him watching her and neither moving she snarled icily and pointed to the hallway with her wand. "Out… Now."

Hesitating in the first step, he finally obeyed and walked out while sending a final glance in her direction. Turning back to face her he opened his mouth to say a final farewell but was cut off with the door slammed inches from his face. He blinked and an amused smirk formed as he stared at the wood.

Milo leaned against the door with her back sliding down until she was sitting on the ground. Beside her was the light from the hall that reached under the door with the eerie shadow of Lucius standing where she had left him before shifting and walking down the creaking stairs. A thud against the door was all she heard from the back of her head. She hated feeling so weak though she was proud to say that it didn't have anything to do with her skill level that left her in these positions. There was a status in the dark order and she was only in the middle class on a good day. That left room for abuse from the favored Death Eaters and let's face it; there was no such thing as sympathy among any of them. If you didn't survive, it was just another day; another statistic. This led to one reason she was grateful to the Dark Lord. Though he left the pecking order to his followers, he did allow them to exchange attacks as long as they didn't kill each other.

She sighed for the umpteenth time; she was so confused and lost right now. Again she could feel her inner demon screaming for her to go after Lucius and make him pay for his games towards her; make him writhe at the end of her wand until his eye rolled back into his skull…. The thought frightened her just as it had in the past. The first time she felt her anger ignite to fury, she had blindly went to Bellatrix for advice which resulted in her mentor's cackle through the night. "I fail to see the problem!" she had laughed.

This did nothing for her troubled mind. What was happening to her? Was she changing into one of _them_? ..........Or was she already set for this fate when her parents were still alive?

Not wanting to leave her spot against the door, Milo flicked her wand towards a book on her bed allowing it to levitate to her. She caught it gracefully and opened it to the title page just before the table of contents. She had ready this story over and over when she felt alone; allowing the words to take her away to a new place far away; her escape from reality.

Milo flipped through the pages till she came to her saved page with a dog ear bent in the corner… Book abuse, she knew, but it wasn't like the book hadn't seen better days. You couldn't tell the title of it anymore.

Page 473. There she was and reading, letting her mind retreat to her imagination and allowing all worries to start to pull her into the world. But a flash of pain set her mind on pause and she dropped her book from instant reaction; gripping her forearm baring the curse mark. "Aahhh…." She whimpered through a clenched jaw and tightly shut eye lids. After all this time, she had yet to become accustomed to the pain.

It looked like her mission was starting sooner then expected…

She slowly stood up, leaving the book where it lay and with another flick of her wand, had her cloak return to her from the top of her dresser. She slipped an arm through and lifted her hair into a neat ponytail high on her head with the tips of her hair hanging in the center of her shoulder blades and her bangs falling lightly to the side of her face. Was she ready for this?

There was no way she would be, but she would have to try, right? She walked to her door and opened it while raising a hand to the light switch before pausing with her fingers lingering above the switch. Milo allowed her eyes one last sweep of her room, knowing that what the night held for her was yet unseen and if she refused…. She would indeed be punished…

No use prolonging her death. With that, she switched the light off and closed the door with a soft click behind her.

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The air was suddenly full of the swishing of cloaks in every part of the shadows. All of them were hooded and masked as they shifted and settled to form a silent circle, enclosing their Lord and three small forms crouched at his feet.

"Ah…My loyal followers have returned again," came Voldemort's sharp voice. "Nothing like a night of entertainment among brothers, is there?"

The three forms at his feet whimpered and sobbed, earning chuckles and snickers from the surrounding group. The black circle stood strong around the dark wizard, each in their designed locations. "We have successfully taken Hogwarts from the Order, and perhaps it is time fore a little amusement." The tall wizard glided away from the three crumbled forms and walked before the line of Death Eaters. He stopped at the first man and his slit like eyes stared.

"Master," he bowed. Voldemort turned his attention away down the line of followers before turning back to the man he stood before.

"I suspect you already gave her the message?"

"Yes. Just before you had called us," Lucius replied.

Voldemort gave a curt nod and walked down the line, passing Bellatrix and stopping at Milo. He felt her breathing hitch and she visibly stiffened. He couldn't help a sly, pleased smirk pull at his thin lips before he turned on his heels back to the center where the three people sobbed.

Milo could feel the overbearing power leave with Voldemort as he walked away and she resisted releasing the breath she was holding; it would do no good to show how much she didn't want to be here. A sudden elbow into her ribs drew her attention as a grunt left her. Grey eyes looked to her right where she could feel the dry look she was receiving from Bellatrix. The dark haired witch pulled her hood and mask down to give Milo a clearer direction that she was giving. Milo looked from her mentor to the leaving dark wizard before she understood she was supposed to follow. Swallowing, she too the first hard step before trailing behind the man to where he stopped before the three, what she guessed where muggle borns.

"These children here tried to enroll in Hogwarts, evening knowing that it was no longer opened to filthy mudbloods," he explained lazily. "I will make an example of those who try to outsmart me… the fools."

The three children, two boys and a girl the age of12, whimpered below the terrifying glower. "Their families will learn not to underestimate me. And that is your job tonight," he turned to Milo who pulled her mask and hood off. "Dispose of these trash and we will make an example of them."

Milo gulped and kept her eyes from his as he took a few steps away from her, exposing the three kids who watched Milo through tear filled eyes; pleading for their lives. She pulled her wand out while feeling the cold eyes of her fellow Death Eaters and the silence that wrapped around her. "Go, now. Kill them." Voldemort permitted.

Her wand rose, only inches above the children and her heart tightened. This was it….. Was she going to make the choice now? Was she going to grab control of her life, or turn to everyone else here?

White knuckles gripped the deep red wand and her breathing was starting to grow faster while her wand shook unsteadily. "What are you waiting for," Bellatrix hissed in her same voice. "Slaughter them! They deserve nothing less."

Milo bit her lip, feeling all reasoning leave as she looked upon the three kids huddled fearfully together. This wasn't right. She couldn't do this… Was she really this weak? No. They were living people. They hadn't attacked her or done anything to credit this…. This was the final step to becoming apart of Voldemort's "Family" as he sometimes referred to it. She could feel the said wizard frown at her hesitation as did Bellatrix who was suddenly at Milo's back. "Come now Milo dear," she purred in her tempting voice. "Just kill the little rats. You are one of us now." This was the first time Milo had felt the rise of nausea wash over her and she understood that this was not what she wanted.

"No…I haven't changed," she started quietly, but didn't lower her wand that was still in threatening range at the children. "I'm still the same person." ….._Right?_

A cackle was her response and Bellatrix stepped to her other side until her lips were against Milo's ear. "Don't be a fool. You have changed…… It just took longer…."

**So what did you think? A bit of a cliffy!! Next time there will be a lot of action!! Or at least I'll think so!**

**Thanks soooo much for the reviews! They mean a lot!! Please keep them coming… I can be pretty greedy and this is the only time you'll see me like this!**

**Seriously though! I love reviews! Just press the little button below and leave two or so sentences on what you think! It only takes a minute of your time and does a lot of good!!!**


	3. Souls and Paper Trails

**Thanks for all the reviews!!! I love them! I hope you guys will like where this is going! A lot of action in this one…. Or so I hope **shrugs** we'll see where this goes. **

**_Warning:! This chapter may be considered rated M for violence. So don't say I didn't warn you._**

**Dislcaimer…I own everything **_**except**_** for the OC Milo. Yup you heard me…. Only JK can lay claim to Milo and that is it!! ………….Happy opposite day everyone!!! ^^**

"Are you going to be back soon?" Harry directed the question to Lupin and Kingsley who pulled there waist coats over their arms. They stood in front of the door that was cracked slightly with Harry and Hermione who held onto a sleeping Teddy, watched they prepare to leave.

"It won't be but the night," Remus assured. "We just need to drop this letter off personally and we'll be right back here."

"…If you say so. Because you know what tomorrow is right?" Harry questioned.

"Yes, yes. I will be here to welcome Sirius home for sure."

"I'll bring Remus back before sun up," Kingsley guaranteed with his voice laced with the heavy accent.

"Good. He has a curfew, you know," Hermione teased. Lupin cracked a half smirk and turned to follow Kingsley out while Harry and Hermione stood in the doorway and watched them leave. "And you better return before tomorrow! If my Remy isn't back by that time then we will be calling the muggle police!"

"Aye, he'll be safe." Kingsley waved over his shoulder, obviously not getting the joke Hermione was throwing.

"_Remy_?" Harry asked skeptically as they turned back inside the house.

"That's what Tonks calls him," she shrugged nonchalantly. "I just thought it was cute."

"I see….." Harry walked beside her and back up the stairs. "So…er…. Do you have a nick name you use for Ron?"

Hermione couldn't contain the small flush that tainted her cheeks and she jerked her head towards Harry who was struggling to keep a straight face. "What? Why would you ask that?-I won't dignify that with an answer…"

"So you do?"

"…."

"Oh," Harry continued as if she had answered him-which in a way she had. "So what is it then?"

Hermione's lips pursed together but she ignored him, her entire focus on the steps below her feet.

"I mean, his mum has different nicknames for him and I have never used them to tease, but I figured it would be funny to see what the look on his face would be if we could get Draco to say it…."

Hermione stopped mid step and looked back to Harry. "Did you get bit by a doxie?"

"Wha-No. I think I would have remembered if I was bit by one when we had to clean the attic… why?"

"Well….Draco has been up in his room and has hardly said a word to anyone…What makes you think he would actually be friendly to us?"

"….I don't," Harry shrugged dispassionately. "He hasn't been the usual Malfoy we know."

"Hmmm. I suppose. But I still can't picture him saying Ronky to—" She stopped in midsentence and her eyes shot wide.

Harry's grin grew and before he could be pulled into any unwanted promises as to not speak word of the name, he darted off up the stairs.

"Harry!" she growled and stopped her foot. "I swear!"

This was one that Sirius would be proud of…

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It was it… The last day and the moment she had been dreading from the few hours before when Lucius had brought the assignment. There she stood…..Wand gripped in white knuckles. The pleading eyes of the three pre-teens sobbing under her casted night shadow. Her hand was shaking and her heart pounding in her ears. The warm breath fanned over her bare neck from Bellatrix who had a hand on Milo's shoulder while her wild black curls tickled her ear. "Go on, kill them…..Do it, Milo!" Her rise in volume startled the brunette who winched. She was fighting tears and viciously bearing down her need to kill the three before her. Milo wasn't an executioner. Why was she doing this? A sneer curled Bellatix's lips and she took two steps backwards before raising her wand at Milo's unsuspecting back. "Crucio!" The attack hit and she stumbled forward; the world leaving her vision and a scream ruptured her ears; not realizing that it was her screaming. Her body writhed on the ground in unbearable pain before more screams of terror added by the three kids.

"Enough," ordered the lazy voice that cut off the curse. Milo opened her eyes with tears still refusing to fall. Confusion fogged her mind and she clambered to her knees agonizingly before she was suddenly lifted. Sooner then her mind could register what was happening she found herself suspended two feet above the ground by an invisible force wrapped around her throat. She struggled to gain her robbed air but it was useless once she saw who held her hovering by the spell. Her legs kicked frantically to try and reach the safety of the ground, but it was too low. With snake like eyes and slits for nostrils, a thin slender hand reached to Milo's face with a **smack!** Her head was violently jerked to the side and a stinging pain filled her flesh on her cheek.

"You fool," came the hiss, making her heart jump into a gallop. "I gave you an order and you disobeyed? You are aware that death is what will befall you, so what nonsense makes you hesitate?"

The silence was deafening in the small dark corner of the park. Not a rustle of a cloak, the whimpers of children, or even the wind through the branches and leaves reached her ears; only her voice screaming to fight and escape through the pounding of her erratic heart beat. Milo turned her grey slate eyes to the terrifying man before her. Their eyes met… and it bunted him to even think of looking away. Her pupils glistened with the dull light around her throat, waning and growing with the dim shadows on her milky complexion. She peered back, full of fear, though she tried to hide it, but her gaze wore right through him, trying to block out reality. Pain, anguish, confusion…..all ended with his simple bliss of her reaction, but there was something else. She stared at him, meeting his own eyes… A clear sign of a challenge. This thought alone ignited the dark wizard's fury. He wanted her to fear him; to have this moral confused woman to stay submissive. She may have not been aware of what this small act was doing to his rage, but all in all it was a challenge. And that wouldn't do…

Sudden as lightning, Voldemort's hand struck across her cheek purposely drawing blood to his talon like nails. A strangled cry escaped her and her tears stung more then ever, but still resisted to fall while a thick layer of fear flooded over her. Her hair was becoming loose from the sudden jerks of her head and a few tendrils of dark amber hair fell from her pony tail. Voldemort hissed in pleasure when she kept her face away from him, completely submissive as blood leaked freely from her cheek. He raised his thick nails that were coated in liquid crimson and brought it to his lips before sucking and licking the substance off. A rare sour expression plastered over his gaunt feature, much like a sneer. "Your blood is pure, but a waste," he said stoically slow and scrutinized her under his heavy glower, that willed her skin to ignite a blaze, but his previous goal was achieved when she kept her head low. He had surfaced a strong fear… or perhaps it was just because she was smarter then many of his followers. After all no tears fell and she had a good reason-other then fear- to not look at him seeing as he may strike her again. Only the devil knew that the Dark Lord wouldn't waste his time carrying out a curse on her. His lips twitched to show a flash of his teeth before he released his hold with the wave of his wand. Her body fell in a heap, crumpled form while he turned away with his majestic cloak billowing behind him. Milo's muscles were stiff and threatening to cramp, but she only ignored it to struggle to her hands and knees, sucking in rich air.

"I have no use for fools," the dark lord said in his departure away from the silent and stiff Death Eaters. "Dispose of the mudbloods as you wish," he permitted to his followers. The three pre-teens struggled against their binds helplessly.

"Er… Master… what shall we do with Ashten?" Knox questioned as he stepped forward. A snarl curled Lucius's lips but he didn't reprimand his fellow Death Eater. Didn't the man see that he had plans for this woman? He had no wish to for her to be punished…or die.

"She isn't even worth my time… Bloodtraitors." He turned away and added lazily. "Kill her slowly; the muggle way. If she wants to show _them_ compassion then she will be treated as such; not even high enough to earn a quick death." And with that he apparated away with a crack in the air. Lucius felt his heart tighten at the orders, knowing that if she died, then he would have to find another who was pureblood to bare a Malfoy heir. There weren't many that he fancied, though in due time, the purebloods would grow… but who was to say that he would still be alive by that time?

Bellatrix cursed loudly at the woman on her knees before she raised her wand once more and cursed Milo. Her hands and knees gave way and the brunette was once again crumbled on the ground, writhing helplessly and letting a scream pass her lips. Bellatrix, for once, was bare of any sadistic grin. Instead a grim frown was all that was seen over her shadowed face and Lucius could only imagine that whatever her plans for Milo was, they were gone out the window with his. Knox, Goyle and a few others ignored Milo's screams and walked around a bench to the three muggle borns. It was strange that a few months ago, they wouldn't have tried to hold a confrontation in a muggle park, but things had changed since then and the Dark Lord had much more control then the Order currently. If anyone came to investigate the situation then they would be dealt with one way or another and it wouldn't be pleasant. None the less, Lucius left the muggle kids to the others to deal with and walked across the grass to Bellatrix and the thrash Milo. "Release it," he ordered to his sister-in-law, but she ignored him, making no move to show she heard with cold eyes staying glued to the pale woman. "Lestrange, I said release the curse." His voice was raising a few extra volumes, effectively shaking her out of the scowl as she pulled her wand to the side.

Milo's screaming came to an immediate halt but she didn't make any movement with the exception of her chest rising and falling hastily; no doubt trying to regain all her robbed oxygen. Her milky complexion was gaunt and had a rise of deathly grey in her cheeks, but that was a natural reaction after a Crucio curse. "What were you thinking? You little bitch," Bellatrix hissed as she stood over her god child. "You have embarrassed me in front of him! We had high expectations and you blew it!"

"You aren't worth the surname you bare," added Dolohov as he watched Milo roll over onto her stomach and start to clamber wearily to her hands and knees.

Milo tried to regain her full vision through the burry tears that softly rolled down her cheeks and the pain. Her mind was foggy, still recovering from the curse as she tried to grasp any bearing on the situation. So it was either do or die now… Death would surely come to her, but she would be damned if she didn't show them her fiery colors before she left this world. Maybe if she was lucky… she could take one-or even two- with her. Still, not sure where everyone was around her shaking form, she pulled her wand from the ground beside her where she had dropped it and gripped it tightly.

Narrowing his eyes, Dolohov stepped forward, crushing her fingers under his heavy boot. She gritted her teeth and could feel her fingernails dig into her palm and threatened to crush her wand. Luckily, before it broke her only weapon of defense, he raised his other leg and kicked her against her shoulder, sending her to the ground. He stepped off of her hand and walked to her side. A scream off to the left of them was heard as Fenrir Greyback pulled the little girl up with his last unburned arm. His other still hung limply at his side from what he had previously grumbled about as the Weasley rat and Longbottom's lucky attack…. Lucky for them that is. The little girl took one look at the man's grizzly facial hair and tinted fangs before her screams and cries went eerily silent. All she could do was stare frighteningly into the yellow eyes in complete horror.

"What a nice little game you'll be," he growled and brought his face to hers while sniffing in her scent.

Milo felt a sudden pang of dread fill her chest and she gritted her teeth, not liking her chances at the moment. "There will be no more need for the Crucio curse," Lucius addressed to the untamed haired witch beside him.

She only growled darkly at him. "What makes you think you're in charge now? If anyone then it's myself!"

"Don't act childish, no matter how hard it is for you," he replied stoically. This only pushed her temper to its breaking point.

Milo ignored the argument above her and glanced out of the corner of her eye at Dolohov then back to Fenrir. His fangs inched closer to the girl's collarbone and Milo knew it was now or never. She wasn't sure why she chose now of all times to become the "hero" but she must've lost her mind! Then again the say was that you show your true form in the face of death…. She pushed all thoughts and logic out of her mind, knowing that it would do no good for her now. In one fluid, albeit painful motion, she stumbled to her feet and knocked Dolohov back before anyone could realize she had moved from her spot on the ground. She charged in a few shaky steps towards the savage werewolf and raised her wand towards his raunchy form before setting free a bright lightning crackling at him. The sudden burst from the once breathless witch caught everyone's attention but they were too slow to stop the lightning from impaling the savage wolf's shoulder, making him howl out as the girl fell from his grip. Before another step could be made, she was suddenly sent flying by a streak of yellow, sending her crashing into the park bench, spinning it to rubble with her cry of pain.

Fenrir cursed loudly in between snarls and growls while he held a clawed, dirt coated hand to his wound. Goyle and Carrow laughed at their comrade's pain but luckily for them, he wasn't focused on them or the young fear filled girl at his feet. It was directed at Milo who managed to pull herself out of the splintered bench in a crawl. Lucius saw the murderous glare directed in her direction from the rangy werewolf and he took swallowing strides to step in. There was no use letting her skin be scarred from fangs and claws. If she was going to die then she may as well be left as natural as she was born. But his casual strides weren't enough to gain distance between the two opponents. Fenrir's speed was beyond human even when in the form of man. Milo seemed to know this as grey eyes clashed with yellow.

"Shit," she mumbled out breathlessly. "Stupid idea." If she had to die then she would much prefer anything else that didn't deal with this savage werewolf. She had seen what he had done to his victims, especially women, and she had no desire to be at his mercy. With her mind working overtime, she took off into the opposite direction, stretching her legs as far as they would go and willing her muscles to release the pressure from the painful cramps and strings that she had received from the curses. This did little as Greyback's predator instincts picked through his logical thoughts, sending messages throughout his body to give chase. He charged past Lucius and the others as he chased her down, gaining speed in each stride until he was nearly at her heels.

Her lungs felt as if a fire was ignited inside and she couldn't keep air in. Milo's panting was ragged and harsh, scarring her throat but she didn't dare look behind her, knowing what would meet her eyes. Before a final leap from Fenrir could take her down, she threw her right leg to the outside of her straight line sprint and crumbled to a roll onto that one side just as he reached out to her and fell into empty air. With his back turned, she sent a stunning charm at him, hitting squarely between his shoulder blades. But before a victorious smile could form, a curse hit her ribs that sent her rolling across the ground as ice filled her veins momentarily. The pain was immense and the cold settled to her bones, sending her heart into sudden momentary shock before a shadow loomed over her form, swallowing it into darkness. "Enough running," came a deeper voice that she recognized as Yaxley. Before she could raise her wand, a hand gripped her throat before slamming her into a near by tree. The man's mask fell and he raised his wand while muttering an incoherent spell. Bindings of white light wrapped around her, keeping her to the tree. The light turned to ropes that bit into her skin until it finally stilled.

"We'll do this proper and slow," he muttered and looked to the corpses of the preteens.

"No," growled Fenrir as he struggled to his feet once the spell wore off. "This wench is mine."

Milo's eyes widened and she struggled meekly in her binds to get her wand in a better position; her hair was falling wildly into her face in thin strands. She didn't want to end up as his meal or worse…. This man was unpredictable and there was no telling what thoughts were running through his mind at that moment.

"I don't think so," Yaxley argued back. "She is going to suffer, not be your dinner."

"Who said anything about being dinner," he asked with a toothy grin and looked straight to Milo who gulped silently. "She ain't your average wench. Deserves somethin' special, this one does."

"No. She will not be handled by you," Bellatrix scoffed as she sauntered over to stand beside Yaxley. "Go chase a squirrel or what ever it is that you do."

Fenrir bared his fangs at her and took a step forward. "I haven't got a kill in this night. I want her."

"And she isn't yours to take," Lucius chided while he looked down the length of his nose. "You are over stepping your boundaries yet again, Greyback, and I will not allow your behavior to go unpunished. If you think you can lay claim to kills over us _loyal _followers then you will find you are greatly mistaken."

Fenrir passed a look of pure hatred to Lucius, but he didn't make a move or a sound of resistance.

"You aren't even fit to bear the dark mark so go home or find that little girl that has gotten away. It should prove a decent chase for you."

Milo had never thought she would be so grateful towards Lucius in her life, but tonight seemed to surprise her to no end. If she wasn't in this position right now she may almost have hugged him…. _Almost_. But the thought vanished once he turned his green eyes to her hungrily. Again the familiar pang of dread met her and she swallowed. What was she thinking? They were going to kill her, whether Fenrir was there or not. Knowing it would be a fool's mistake to use a curse now, she twisted her wand around so it was behind her wrist and out of sight. She had to wait for the opportune moment to attack, if she wanted to try to escape… key word there: _Try._

Fenrir hesitated for a few full seconds before he turned away and ambled towards where a few other Death Eaters still lingered near the two corpses. Once sure that he was indeed not coming back, Bellatrix and Lucius turned back to Yaxley and Milo. Her cloak was dusted in filth and splinters, part of it torn open and hanging off of her shoulder by the seam. "So how do you want to do this?" Yaxley questioned disdainfully, though he was looking forward to hear her scream.

"Old fashion. Nice and slow," Lucius replied while he pulled a dagger from the opposite end of his cane that was securely fastened to his belt. "Any spell that isn't _Avada Kadavara _should do fine." Milo could feel her lip tremble, but she kept her face as calm as possible for a person in her situation. The 28 year old brunette knew enough about her fellow Death Eaters to know they each got a rise out of screams and cries…. She would try her damndest not to plummet to these encouragements…

Lucius stepped forward with his thick blonde hair cascading around his clean cloak. Bellatrix was watching with her lips pursed slightly outwards and her wand twisting in between her thin hands; shifting her weight on either foot with her head tilted curiously. "Why don't you just kill me and get it out of the way? I'm sure you have better things to do," Milo stated with a clean and stable voice.

"_I _never had a problem spending time with you, dear," Lucius said with a cunning smirk forming.

"Pity," Milo retorted feeling her heart plummet. This wasn't going to be good for her at all. _Then it's time for plan B._ "Well I guess you wouldn't seeing as you only have an empty manor to return to."

His smirk diminished as he stopped in front of her with his free hand set next to her head on the bark, blocking her view from anyone other then him. "And you had to go and change those plans didn't you? We could've had a much more satisfying future then… this."

Milo held his gaze for a third time that night with new found strength. "Yes, I tend to do that… change randomly and make new plans."

"So it would seem. And look where it's gotten you. Bound to a tree and up for a tease to any bloodthirsty flea bags," he hissed lowly.

Milo didn't make any movement as he leaned closer. She refused to show any of them fear. She was going to die… everyone did at some point. Her death was just sooner then she had expected. Though in all honesty, she was scared out of her wits. Before another word could be exchanged, Bellatrix stepped forward with her wand raised. With a strange twist and turn of her wrist between her fingers, a bolt of red smacked her in the chest and she felt her bones defrost from the previous cold hex that was thrown on her prior. Her muscles suddenly burned and she cried behind her clenched lips, while her face scrunched up in immense pain. No wonder why cups cracked from the sudden change in temperature. At that bloody moment, her bones felt as if they were going to splinter into her tensed muscles and a sickening pressure from a weight behind her clenched eyes pushed against her left side. She only assumed it was Lucius who was pushing his hand against her ribs, where she swore, through all the pain and tension that her ribs began to bend inwards. Milo sucked in a tight breath and tried to steer away from the pain but her binds held her still.

The pressure was too much to bear and Milo could feel two ribs grate against her panting organs before a weakness overcame her body followed by the irresistible snap. The cry couldn't be contained behind her lips any longer and she let it out, not caring what her previous goals were before. This was too much and it had only begun… But shortly after, the hex as well as the weight was lifted from her, allowing her to lean against the ropes for support so she could gather her breath. It was a constant struggle for air with her mind in a daze as the fog cleared from the pain. She had always had a high tolerance for pain but it looked like she was going to see just how high that level was.

Yaxley stepped forward and bent to pick up a stick before holding his wand to it. "Incendio," he ordered and the tip of the stick lit with a hot blaze. Lucius stepped away from Milo to allow Yaxley by. The said wizard pulled her hand from under the ropes. She tried to struggle and pull her hand away with her fist clenched securely but the pain in her side and muscles made her momentarily too weak to resist. Before she could think of anything he pried her fingers open and set the fire to her palm. This she found easier to hold back a cry, but the pain was still there with the tensing of muscles and the feeling like ice cold acid pouring over her body. She tried with her strength returning to pull her hand away, but he held a firm grip on her wrist while the sound of hissing searing flesh and the smell of burned skin surrounded her in a panic.

This was only the beginning of a long hour for Milo. Her night to shine and to become a welcomed and trusted member, an honor- mind you- had ended in a down right mess. She had it coming and knew that it wasn't something she could change. She did regret that she wasn't able to save the kids; they ended up dying in the end, like she soon would. But even through her leg being snapped by a hex and her fingers busting under pressure…. Even through the curses and jabs of a dagger, she could honestly say that she was slightly… deep down, proud that she had refused. Blood traitor she was and shame she had filled her family's name with, but she hadn't become one of them. One of the Death Eaters that tortured her now, sending a blow to her head and retying her so her hands where tied by the wrist above her head by a branch and her wand forgotten at her feet. At least she would die free from the tainted evil that they would always have stuck to their names. By now her hair was fallen around her shoulders and saturated in crimson blood, her eyes leaked with hot tears and her bones cracked as she tried to move from where she hung; the feeling of her right dislocated shoulder being too much to keep in mind.

There was another stab to her abdomen, but whether she was lucky or not, she wasn't sure. When Lucius stabbed her with his gleaming dagger it only pierced through a few inches of her flesh; enough to draw blood, but not enough to puncture any organs. In a way she was grateful… _What?_ Was she loosing her mind? She must've gone mental if that thought actually made sense to her. She wasn't grateful. It only meant he was prolonging her death. The taunts that the three threw at her were merely a minor hum. Occasionally, they would ask her questions or try to get a reaction, but her throat was scarred from her screaming and her voice lost. Her mouth was full of blood to where she was almost choking. Milo's hands were cut and bruised with most fingers broken and bent in odd angles.

All she wanted was to cry for help. She just want this to stop and for it to be all over. Death was all she could have wished for. Milo wanted to stop the pain, to stop the torture and to be away from them. Lucuis was the closest to her and her head was bent low with her chin to her chest. "You deserved this. You can't hate any of us for bringing you this pain-"

"Though it was out of our enjoyment," grinned Yaxley.

This finally got a reaction out of Milo as she picked her gaunt face to meet theirs but her eyes stayed unfocused and dim. "Fuck…you."

And right then, she managed to shock Lucius as she managed a mutinous glare that was full of hate and remorse; the same cold eyes her father was famous for. Lucius could feel his anger rise and he gripped her blood soaked hair and pulled it roughly back so she was looking straight into his green eyes. With one glare in return he claimed her lips harshly, taking her breath from her tortured lungs and she struggled to gather air, but a gurgle left her throat and blood gushed from between their lips, making Lucius pull back before he back handed her cheek. A weak whimper escaped and again her head dropped helplessly.

"It's nearly over, Milo," purred Bellatrix as she swished her hips to Milo's helpless form. The dark haired witch stepped around Milo, admiring her work at breaking her leg and dislocating her shoulder among other burns and wounds. "But seeing as you made a fool of your dear Godmother, I think I should do the honors of the last assail, isn't that right Lucius?"

"…..You are her mentor."

"Right you are." She stopped behind Milo and rested her chin on the brunette's shoulder. "You could've gone far with us. It's a pity really that you turned to a bloodtraitor. Only a fool's choice and a bad time to grow a conscious. Hmmm," she breathed with her own lazy hum in Milo's ear. "Well. Say hello to you Mum and Dad for me." With that said she walked in front of Milo and pulled her wand out once again.

"Do I want to find out what you have planned?" Yaxley asked with his hands stuffed into his pockets.

"I was going to burn her…. Alive that is," she smiled sweetly. Lucius shot her a cold stare but said nothing as he started to walk away.

"Is this too much for you? Did you actually grow feelings for her?" Bellatrix called after him.

"Of course not. It's just a shame that a beauty like that with her blood would have moral confusion," he stated truthfully. "In fact I was just hungry and decided to go eat dinner that I have yet to have."

Bellatrix scoffed and rolled her eyes. She wasn't worried about it. The only person Lucius Malfoy truly ever cared for was his son, but that was a thing in the past now. All that mattered was to ignite this helpless woman in front of her so she could get some sleep. She was tired after all.

She turned back to look at the said woman and grinned. It looked like Milo had accepted her fate with her blood coated hair hanging like a curtain and her face hidden. Good for her. "Incendi-"

"Locomotor Mortis!" demanded a deep voice from the dark and a light hit the unsuspecting Yaxley, making him stumble to the ground. Bellatrix and Lucius spun with wands at defense, looking for the intruder. "Confundus!"

The charm passed right by the blonde's head from a different direction just as the first shot another spell at them. "Let's go," Lucius ordered.

"What?-No!" Bellatrix started but was interrupted as another spell missed her by only inches.

"The woman won't last the night! Let's go!"

"You aren't going anywhere!" ordered the first voice who sounded closer. But it was too late as Lucius dispelled the hold on Yaxley and the three apparated away.

"Damn it!" said a much deeper voice laced in an accent as he jogged through the park shadows to meet his partner where the three had just disappeared.

"Well this leaves a lot of questions," sighed the shorter man of the two as he scratched the back of his head in wonder. "What do you suppose they were doing in a park?"

The tall dark skinned man made to shrug but stopped and jerked his chin behind the smaller man. "Perhaps that, Remus?"

Remus turned around to see a tree with a woman hanging just inches from the ground with her wrists tied above her head at the branches. "Dear God," he said breathlessly and rushed to the woman's side to see she was fully unconscious. "We have to get her out of here." Kingsley quickly came over and wrapped his arms around her thin waist carefully while Lupin untied her hands.

Her limp body fell into his arms lifelessly where he carefully laid her body out across the grass. Lupin picked up what he assumed was her wand and kneeled on the other side of her before peeling his jacket off to lay it cross her. "Do you know her?"

Kingsley shook his head but stopped when he caught sight of her left arm that was out from under his friend's jacket. "Look-there."

Remus's eyes darted back and forth to see what the man was pointing to until it landed on the dark mark on her bare skin. "Oh dear," he said lowly and lifted her arm in his hand to examine it. "Looks like we have a few questions answered now."

"Aye but we better decide what we do with her before the others come back."

"Right… I can't imagine them killing one of their own unless she had done something bad…. Or erm…. Good. If they have out casted her then we could have a chance at getting some answers about the Death Eaters," Lupin pondered aloud while he felt her pulse. "But we better decide if it's worth it now or we may loose her."

"….We'll take her with us, get the information then decide what to do with her if that's what you want. I have a base not too far from here that we can take her until she gains consciousness that way she is away from the Burrow and everyone else."

"Are you sure you want to take that risk? If we choose to go with it then we have to follow it through and it may end up as a lost cause. She may refuse to say anything."

"…. Then we won't be out anything and if she does give us information then it will give us some advantage over you-know-who."

"…….Very well. Then let's get her out of here now or it will be a waste of time," Lupin reasoned while Kingsley pulled her into his arms and with Lupin by his side, they apparated away to the apartment.

Shortly after, they took long strides to the single bedroom as Lupin rushed a head and opened the door for Kingsley to stride in with the woman still in his arms. Gently he laid her limp form onto the comforter while Lupin rushed to the kitchen, flipping on a light and pulling a large bowl out before scuffling back to the bedroom. He took his place by the bedside and held his wand over the bowl. "Ehem," he cleared his throat. "Aguamenti." A jet of water poured from his wand and filled the bowl with cool liquid. "Did you get the bandages?"

"Ferula," Kingsley answered as his wand produced many bandages next to the bowl. "I'll get a rag, while you strip her down," he ordered through his deep voice, though Lupin was sure that anything he said sounded like an order from his natural accent. The said man turned and left the room, leaving Lupin to look sadly at the woman. Blood was stained and shimmered against her dark clothes and crimson liquid caked the side of her face from a head wound.

"Got a nasty cut there, don't you?" he asked though not expecting an answer as he carefully removed her cloak and cut through her shirt. Small jabs and gashes littered her skin and he could only imagine what else was under all the bruises. Luckily for the both of them, Kingsley was fairly educated in healing and hopefully he would be able to heal all that was internal. The said man came rushing in with a rag in hand as well as some alcohol to clean the wounds. He took a seat on the other side of the woman and dipped the rag into the water before bringing it to her face and carefully blotting the blood to see her. It would only take a glance for them to know her identity and sure enough recognition set in. "Now I know where I've seen her," Kingsley murmured. "She was at Gringotts collecting money."

"Well a lot of people go there," Remus reminded. "Why would you remember her?"

"Because she had a fortune in her vault and the goblins told me she was the last of the pureblood family Ashten. I had been curious that she was a Death Eater at the time, but the goblin I was speaking with only said that she wasn't like the rest of her family."

"Looked like you were right," Lupin commented.

"Hmmm…. I'm not sure her name though."

The two sat quietly as they each tended to her open wounds first before Kinglsy finally pulled his wand out and looked to his friend. "Go home, Remus. I have the rest from here. If something changes then I will let you know."

"Are you sure? I can stay to help."

He only shook his head. "No no. You still have to welcome your friend home and Tonks will be worried. Just go home and let me handle it."

Lupin smiled and held out his hand that Kingsley took in a firm hand shake. "I'll be seeing you soon."

"Indeed. Feel free to use the fire place and I think it be best if Molly didn't find out without Arthur being there," he advised.

Lupin gave a curt nod and left the room to the fireplace. Kingsley waited till he heard the voice say "Burrow" and the follow of flames before the flat was swallowed in silence once more. Sighing he turned back to the unconscious woman and he shook his head, hoping that she wouldn't be a handful when she woke up. He didn't want to have to kill her after all this work to keep her alive. It would be a long night and an even longer morning but at least they had gotten their first message dropped off successfully before this incident.

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Just two streets from the flat that Kingsley resided with Milo was a thick crack of air where four figures stood before stalking down the middle of the paved road. It stayed empty of life with the exception of multiple parked muggle vehicles and a stray light that shone through a window. "So what happened again?" one asked in a deep voice.

"I already told you Dolohov," sneered the woman. "We have two rats from the Order here. Time for a little hunt."

Fenrir grinned as he sniffed the air, smelling the thick stench of blood lingering in the air. "They're close by." He looked to Lucius and Bellatrix. "I want to kill one this time."

"Haven't you satisfied your thirst yet?" Lucius asked as he followed the werewolf through the street bend and down an alley.

"Never."

"I don't see any harm in who kills who as long as the rubbish is disposed of," Bellatrix commented through the shadows as the four of them came to another street.

Fenrir stopped and lifted his nose to the air while sniffing to find the sweet blood that he waited for. "They're here….. in one of these buildings…."

**Another Cliffy!!! Because I'm mean like that and want more reviews because I live off of them!!!! Really I do!!! So send me a review please because I know a lot of you are reading this, just aren't telling me what you think. If you don't like then feel free to flame. I don't care just as long as I get something. **

**Thanks!!! **


	4. Can we keep her?

**Hey guys!!! I'm here! Let's see where this goes, yes? **

**I kinda changed Milo's personality a bit. I figured everyone likes humor so if we have a stick up your ass character then it kills the fun. **

**_Milo: Sick up your ass? The hell?_**

**Shush! We have to do the disclaimer....**

**Disclaimer…What do you expect? I didn't own them last time and I don't own them now. The disappointment is still there. **

The flicker of candle light danced across the walls subtly with the soft breeze that snuck through the open window. The cool wind smelled of the night air; a fresh linger of unnamed scent. The soft rustle of clothes pushed through the silence as the man stepped to the window, letting his dark eyes scan over the city, taking in the sleeping muggle vehicles before landing on a stray dog that wandered out of an alley. Carefully he watched the tattered yellow dog follow his nose that looked plastered to the cement, taking the mutt in a winding trail around to the doorway where a trash bag sat idly by. Kingsley let out a chuckle and walked away from the window and back to the bed in the center of the worn room. Outside the window the dog ripped open the trash bag hungrily and the tings of empty tin cans echoed through the tense atmosphere. The noise didn't bother the dog as he found left overs but stopped suddenly with his head shooting up in the air; food long forgotten. Carefully he stiffed the air when it was pulled to the alley he had recently come from. With a tail tucked securely between his legs he bolted down the street and away from the meandering four Death Eaters that walked into the street between the two lamp posts.

"I don't see any harm in who kills who as long as the rubbish is disposed of," Bellatrix commented through the shadows as the four of them came to another street.

Fenrir stopped and lifted his nose to the air while sniffing to find the sweet blood that he waited for. "They're here….. in one of these buildings…."

Quickly Bellatrix scanned the walls and shut windows before finding one that was still open and alive with a dull light. "There," she pointed across from them.

Dolohov stuffed his hands deeper into his pockets. "Let's get them."

Just inside the small one bedroom flat, Kingsley sat next to the bed where the woman rested quietly. He was tired and couldn't help the small guilt that he had knowing she was still in pain. He hadn't expected her to be quite so injured when he had told Lupin that he could handle it. A broken leg, five ribs, dislocated shoulder and left wrist were battered not to mention her fingers. On her right hand her pinky and ring finger were disjointed whilst her left hand had three that were snapped clean. Luckily he was able to reset her fingers, wrist and leg, however the rest was beyond his knowledge on the subject. Her small but many wounds had healed sufficiently enough to stop bleeding yet that was the extent. Even through the pain that he knew she was in, she rested peacefully in a hushed calm, only shifting her weight in the slightest and rising the squeak of the old mattress.

Kingsley didn't usually come to this apartment often. Normally it was just a resting point between trips. In dark times like these where fights were soon to follow and travelling was dangerous, his long passed hideouts were reopened once more. He had already used the two room flat in Bradford when Draco was fresh on the run from the same Death Eaters that they had seen tonight.

His thoughts were cut short once the woman in the bed shifted again though in a larger movement that meant one thing. He had honestly didn't expect her to wake so soon.

Seeing her face contort in pain, he casually sat back into his chair with a hand to his pocket where his wand rested but he made no move to retrieve it. Instead he waited until she woke completely and relaxed into the creaking wooden chair. It was reverse psychology on a minor level. Purposely he pulled a casual stance knowing that if he looked like he was fully in control then she would have less of a motivation to try any unwanted escape attempts or even a few hexes. The dark man wasn't sure how she was going to react but he knew she wouldn't be pleased and with a glance around the room absentmindedly, his eyes stopped on the window where a soft breeze sauntered in and tickled the candle flames. Perhaps he should close the window…. He didn't want her screaming at him and waking the resting muggles in the area. With that very intelligent thought in mind, he stood ip and walked to the window whilst peering out to the ground where a lonely street stood to shadows and a long abandoned trash bag sprawled across the sidewalk. With a "hmph" he closed the window and sat back into his chair once again.

Milo was slowly coming to with the fog dissipating away in her mind and allowing her senses to return through the pain. The cold park was not where she was now-that she knew before she even opened her eyes. Instead she was somewhere warm with the tiniest hint of mold…. Almost unidentifiable. Slowly steel grey eyes opened behind dark lashes to see a dim room with the slightest shift in light, no doubt from candles. Again she closed her eyes, still getting a bearing on everything. She wasn't sure what was going on but she desperately wanted to know what happened. Were they only letting her suffer longer before they got tired and decided to kill her? It was shortly after this thought that she realized there was in fact someone else in the room with her by the shift and creak of wood.

Quick as lightning, grey eyes shot open and Milo's body instinctively bolted to a sitting position before a white hot blinding pain bled through her body and she fell back onto the mattress while trying to gain her stolen breath.

"You shouldn't move so fast," Kingsley said bluntly though instinctively he wanted to reach out to make sure she was alright. He mentally badgered himself and reminded that she was still the enemy.

After a few quiet, albeit tense, moments, Milo regained her lost breath and as the pain resided, she looked towards the man next to her. It took her a while to register that she had never seen him before. With dark skin and a purple attire that she only recognized as from outside of Britain, she quickly came to the conclusion that he was not part of the Death Eaters. But that didn't make sense…. It just didn't. Where was he from? No doubt he was a wizard, but why would he take her from the Death Eaters?

"Stopping plotting, woman," he stated that brought her from her musings. "I may not know you but I know when some one is plotting."

There was the ticking of five seconds before she decided to reply in a rather strong voice despite her current condition. "I wasn't plotting… just pondering."

"To escape, no doubt," he huffed, not convinced.

"…Why am I here?"

_Here it came,_ he thought to himself. He would tell her that she was with the order and then the hexes would start flying. "Because you are in a position to be of use to the Order." Pause. "We want to know everything about You-know-who and you will be the one to tell us or we'll finish what your companions started."

"That's not leverage," she smirked knowingly and shook her head. "You'll kill me whether I tell you or not."

Kingsley said nothing, slightly surprised that she seemed a little, if not all the way, compliant, though she had yet to say anything. At least she seemed calm.

"Another thing," she started while she looked to the low ceiling above her. "I understand why you would go so far as to take me back for information, but what I don't get is how you did it."

"Your companions aren't so hard to scare off when they were expecting to be in control of everything," he replied simply and something told Milo that it was all she would get from him.

"Fair enough. What do you want to know?"

The wizard blinked. Not on any amount of money would he have bet that she would tell him so willingly. "You're just going to tell me what I want to know? And how can I trust you?"

At this she laughed wryly and though it was soft, there was that high power that very few pure bloods possessed. "Where would you like me to start? I have no wand, I am helpless, you have a wand on me at the moment but are hiding it and, most importantly, you brought me here on your own conscious.

I simply refused to help the Dark Lord in which it ended me into this position. I have no where else to go and will die either way. Personally I don't care if you want this information or not," she finished deliberately.

Kingsley could only sit quietly taking in this woman's explanation. She had many points…. "Very well. What is it that he is planning?"

Milo frowned and pondered for a moment. There was so little that she actually knew…. Actually what she did know was valuable but not something that she could just explain. "I'm not exactly sure. None of us know until he decides to tell us which are moments before the actually plan…. Unless you were well respected and had shown your loyalties such as Snape and Crouch…. Those two would know but if you're with the Order then you'll know that the dead cannot talk…"

Kingsley took in her words before continuing after he was sure that she wasn't lying. "What was he doing in the park tonight?"

"…" Kingsley watched her expression carefully as she scowled. "I was supposed to kill some half-bloods that had tried to enroll into Hogwarts. I can only guess that they lived in this city and that's where he retrieved them from," she reasoned.

"And you killed them?"

"Of course not," she snapped making Kingsley realize that this injured fox still had fangs. "I respectfully refused."

"Respectfully?"

"Well, to be blunt, I didn't really have the guts to say 'fuck you' to the Dark Lord." Her response was still in a snipped tone that told him that perhaps she was troubled over the subject of tasks that she was put through…

Ignoring her choice of language, he continued. "Why would you refuse? You knew death was a result for ineptitude to kill them."

"Aren't you getting off subject? You want to know about the Dark Lord-not me," she glared defensively.

Kingsley opened his mouth to say something when everything seemed to pause in that one second in an eerie calm before everything exploded. Grey eyes were drawn to the candle light that suddenly flickered wildly before the door to the living room was blasted open from a jinx. Kingsley was on his feet before the door hit the ground with his wand pointed at the intruders. Through the dusted doorway stepped in Lucius with Bellatrix at his heels when both pairs of eyes landed at the man with his wand out defensively from the bed room. "Found you." Bellatrix sneered with a wicked cackle as she skipped over the fallen door and onto the carpet.

Milo managed to lift herself onto her elbows devastatingly while her eyes caught sight of four wizards walking into the living room in front of Kingsley. Fear and panic struck her but one thing out played all thoughts. Her anger was far from small and she was clearly ready to take a few down before she lost her last breath. "My wand," she said urgently to Kingsley who kept his eyes on the four intruders that were spreading around his furniture to keep him cornered in his room.

"I need my wand," she hissed. "Or you'll die along with me."

"I can't trust you," he said bluntly over his shoulder, directing the other attention to what was in the bed behind him.

Lucius blinked and raised his wand while Bellatrix sneered, "You little traitor."

The four stepped closer with Fenrir coming closest to Kingsley's side. "Wand now, you useless man," she snarled. Without a second thought, he stepped back into the room and slammed the door closed just as the many jinxes were spiraling at him. As the blasts were heard, he quickly added his own spell onto the door, knowing it was only a matter of time before it too gave away like the other.

"Here," he said and tossed her own satin red wand onto the bed while he started to move things around and picked up his broom in the corner of the room. "Can you fly?"

"On a broom?" she asked skeptically. "Never."

"Time to learn-"

"Don't drag me into that argument," she started stubbornly as he walked to her side and carefully pulled her to her feet as more curses hit the enchanted door. The pain stretched through her with blinding coldness and seeing her face twist in displeasure, he let her lean against the bed for support while he rushed to the window and opened it. "I'm not riding that stick," she continued.

"You don't have another choice." Suddenly the door was thrown violently off its hinges as Fenrir and Dolohov charged in quickly before Kingsley could turn away from the window with his wand in defense. Dolohov drew his first however before he could throw a curse at Kingsley, he was pushed into the wall by Milo's own curse. The man looked slightly stunned that Milo had actually helped him but didn't think on it as he pulled her to his broom and shot out of the window with curses whizzing by their heads. The cold wind hit them hard in the face but no sooner did they clear the window and in the air did a jinx managed to hit the tail of the broom, causing it to spin wildly into a window across the street. Milo held her eyes shut and her knuckles bleached white with her hold on Kingsley's front color until they stumbled and rolled to a stop. Dust, debris and glass shattered around them, sending a ghostly sound through the night.

"Come on," Kingsley encouraged as he carefully got to his feet and tried to help Milo to hers but she was rather resistant at the sudden urgency to move.

"I hate you," she muttered breathlessly while he pulled her to stand beside him. Milo didn't take to kindly to crashing through windows, especially in the condition she was currently in.

"Big surprise," he answered in a flat town as he stepped across the living room with a long faded blue couch and a strange orange and tan rug under a small coffee table. Milo hobbled next to him with her ribs aching from the sudden strain until they finally reached a rather low and small fireplace. "Stupid muggles," she cursed while Kingsley pulled her under the frame with him before pulling out a small pouch.

"We don't like muggle haters," Kingsley assured before pulling a handful of floo powder from inside the drawstring pouch.

"Good to know."

Just then four apparitions of black smoke whirled through the once window with wands at the ready to blast Kingsley and Milo to pieces but were too slow once the powder dropped and the man muttered a quick "Diagone Alley."

In the next second, green flames rose and swallowed the pair before leaving an empty fireplace to the now cursing four; after all, they had no powder to follow them.

********************************************************************************************************

As sudden as thunder, Milo found herself clinging helplessly to Kingsley as they appeared in the fireplace. "You don't look too good," he muttered at a quick glance to her.

Her pale complexion was now gaunt and dark bags were starting to become apparent under her bloodshot eyes that brimmed with tears. He carefully half pulled and half carried her out into the abandoned shop of an old bookstore before shoving books from the corner of the table to allow her to rest. The clatter of the dust filled books shifted and clouded around them momentarily before settling while Milo used the table to hold her up as well as Kingsley's soft hold on her hips. Her breathing was shallow and blood was beginning to drip from her forehead from a wound that colored her hair roots red.

"Why did you save me?" Kingsley asked after a moment but she didn't respond.

Instead she stared at her hands dreamily with a frown. Her head felt like lead but at the same time like cotton wool; everything heavy yet dreamy all the same.

"Hey," he said with an added snap of his fingers to bring her out of her daze with his own worried frown.

"What?" she asked.

"Why did you save me?"

"Because…er… Sounded like a good thing at the time." When she looked to see his frown turning to disapproval, she sighed and started again. "Because you aren't the enemy."

"I'm with the Order," he reminded, clearly confused at her logic.

"And I'm a Death Eater, blah, blah, blah," she mimicked with her hand before pushing from the table and stumbling forward where Kingsley caught her carefully with her dark brunette locks cascading over her shoulders. "Did you know why I never went to Hogwarts?"

The man blinked at the random question and furrowed his brows. "I was unaware that you didn't attend."

"Oh, I was going to. I actually went there for my first year but after the first day, my lovely ol' parents took me out. Didn't like the fact I was placed in Gryffindor," she explained with a sour expression from the pain in her side.

"What does this have anything to do with-"

"I'm not done. You see. Gryffindor and Slytherin are mortal enemies or something, right? As it is with the Order and the Death Eaters. Simple and plainly put for everyone to understand, but," she started as she straightened herself up with a wince. "What about those who are a mixture of the two, hmm? You know there is some."

"You mean like those from Slytherin are actually noble like Gryffindors and those from Gryffindor are supposed to be in Slytherin?" he asked, not sure if he was getting it.

"What's your name?" she asked again as he pulled her right arm over his shoulder to get her out of the book shop. "I'm Milo Ashten."

"Kingsley Shacklebolt."

"You aren't a very friendly man are you?" she scrutinized with grey eyes.

"And you are very strange."

"At least I talk and don't give out questions as a conversation."

Kingsley said nothing while he stepped through a busted door and into the sudden grey atmosphere as the sun was starting to make its appearance over the many buildings. Buildings were scattered in rubble and debris with only newspapers pushed against walls on the sidewalks where the wind had set them and the dull tuneless buildings stood lined up on either side of the deserted street. "If I was a better person, I would have left long ago," she admitted sadly.

Kingsley only looked to her questioningly as they start to make there way down the street to find another shop with a fireplace. "They'll still be able to apparate," he explained to her unasked question. "We'll need to get somewhere safe before they find us."

"I estimate that you have five minutes."

Suddenly the loud crack of air was sounded a few streets away followed by three more like gunshots. A chill shivered down their spines at the started hunt.

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"_**Surprise!!"**_ The house cheered as Sirius entered the home with a wide cheeky grin.

"Ah Harry!" he greeted as his godson was the first to step to him with a firm shake of the hands before he was pulled to a crushing hug.

"Glad to see you're doing better," Harry struggled out over Sirius shoulder before the restricting hug loosened. Harry let rich air fill his lungs again while Sirius examined him with both hands firmly on his shoulders.

"You have gotten tall and look more like James as ever now," Sirius commented with his eyes twinkling.

Harry smiled and took this time to take in Sirius's new appearance. When he said he was going to clean up, he truly meant it. His skin was no longer pale and gaunt but glowed with a healthy honey tan and his once boney and hollow cheeks were now filled and smooth. His own dark eyes shimmered mischievously with his dark raven tendrils falling lazily over his forehead and ears from a new haircut that took away his shabby appearance. Harry had to admit this was the youngest Sirius had looked since Harry had seen him.

"Now I see why all the girls fell for you," Tonks teased as she came up with a curious baby in her arms. Siruis turned away from Harry and to the approaching witch before clicking his tongue off the top of his mouth with his arms wide open.

"Aww, Tonkers! I hope you have been keeping poor Remus in line."

"Sirius if there is anyone who should be kept in line it is you," she piped back.

"And this must be the famous Teddy Lupin!" Sirius grinned and leaned to see his friend's son before tickling the baby where a struggled giggle past the boy's lips. Finally Sirius stopped and stood straight before a frown set in before he scrutinized the baby still recovering from the giggles.

"What are you doing?" Tonks asked with a raise of her brow at the feeling that Sirius was going o whip out the magnifying glass at any moment.

"Just making sure he isn't hairy like his father is all," came the short reply before a hand clapped his shoulder from behind.

"That's not funny, Padfoot," Remus started but his eyes only held mirth at the joke. "I take it the nurses took care of you?"

"Oh you wouldn't believe how well they did. There was this blonde witch from-"

"Details are not necessary," clipped in Molly as she stepped to Sirius happily with her arms open for a giant hug.

Sirius gratefully bowed down slight to envelope her with his own chuckle. "Yes, I apologize."

"You look really good, I must say," Hermione smiled when it was her turn with Ron scowling at the back of her head. Sirius gave her a quick hug before seeing the red eared Ronald and throwing his hands in the air defenselessly.

"Oi, I know she's your girl," Sirius teased lightheartedly.

The red ears disappeared and a sheepish grin curled the red head lips. "Uh… What?"

"Alright, alright," Molly said to bring everyone from their welcoming. "We have breakfast ready and I don't want it to get cold."

Everyone was herded into the dining room of the Burrow while starting in with their famous scrambling of chairs and decisions on where to sit until finally everyone was placed and crammed around the table with food sprawled out through the center. "This looks amazing ladies," Lupin charmed to the many girls around the table who had took it to them selves to help.

"Well George made the toast, hash browns and buttermilk pancakes," Luna explained dreamily while many shocked eyes turned to the man in question.

"Yup," George confirmed cheerfully and clearly pleased with his creations. "I even used a few new ingredients! I gotta say," he added pointedly to Hermione and Ginny. "Cooking isn't that hard."

Sirius reached out and took a piece of toast before skeptical frown settled in. Harry, Draco and Ron looked just as suspicious as well as hesitant at the black and hard square that was once a piece of bread in its better days before it was confirmed by Sirius hitting it against his plate with a _ting-ting-ting._ Ron and Harry snickered to them selves while mentally noting that the toast was far from edible. Draco only smirked, still unsure where he stood with everyone though he knew they seemed to welcome him. He was more then aware that Sirius knew who he was by his bleached hair, but he didn't seem to have cross thought in mind when the man looked to him with a wink.

The rest of the table didn't pay attention to the four with everyone already in different conversations while they served themselves with the much sweet and warm aroma of food. "So Sirius," Arthur started with a knife and fork in hand just hovering over syrup drowned waffles. "Now that you are both dead and allowed to wander freely, do you plan to work on missions?"

"Of course," he stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "I won't be lying around any longer that's for sure."

"We were discussing about keeping the base in your home," Lupin added to Sirius. "The Black manor is still the perfect place to keep the meetings as they are as well and-"

"Are you suggesting that I stay there?" Sirius questioned with a charming raise of his brow.

"Er… it is your house and it's not like you are forced to stay there every second," Lupin replied in good nature as he took a bite of food.

"If that's the case I'm going to have to find company…." Sirius drawled slowly with looks around the table. "Any takers?"

"I'm going," Harry started first before nearly all the teens added in that they wanted to as well.

A healthy chuckle left Sirius and he rocked his head back. "It's up to Molly."

All eyes looked to the slightly distressed woman at the end of the table before she reluctantly nodded her head. "But…"

Oh here came the dreaded "but" that everyone knew was inevitable to dodge.

"You must listen to Sirius….erm, Lupin I mean, and not do anything reckless. The only reason I am agreeing to this is because I know it's safe there."

That seemed to be reason enough for the teens to begin their animatedly discussions on the house and what they were going to do. "We can still come here for dinner, right?" Draco asked Molly, shocking everyone into an awkward silence.

The young Malfoy cleared his throat before motioning to the toast. "It's just I don't think George is as good of a cook as he thinks."

At this the elder red head glared menacingly but the table erupted with laughter and nods of agreement. "Of course, dear," Molly smiled genuinely. "Whenever you like."

The air seemed to suddenly become easier for Draco to breath with a pull of his lips into a chaste smirk.

Suddenly the group was silenced by a wave of flames that lit the living room walls green before disappearing. Not even a second later and nearly all of the adults were in the doorway between the kitchen and living room with wands at the ready to find that two soot and dirt plastered forms stumble from the fireplace weakly. "Oh my!" Molly yelled out as she along with Arthur and Lupin rushed to the two people.

"What in God's name happened?" Lupin asked Kingsley but nearly stopped dead at the sight of the barely conscious witch that hung limply by the tall black man's side.

"Hurry hurry!" Molly ushered to Kingsley to sit on the couch while Lupin silently took the woman from the man's side. "Are hurt anywhere," she asked urgently to the now sitting man with his cloak wide open and blood pooling from his side slightly and staining his coffee colored shirt.

"What is it? What's going on?" Harry asked with Ginny at his side and Hermione peeking over.

"Tonks," Remus motioned calmly though the underlining tone was urgent. "Keep them in the dining room."

With a nod that she understood, she ushered the teens into the dining room and back to eat while Sirius walked out. "How did this happen?" Arthur questioned where he sat next to Kingsley as Molly quickly dabbed his wound to keep the bleeding.

"Death Eaters… four found us and we had to get away," he breathed.

Lupin shifted his weight as the woman slumped forward with a hoarse cough that burned her throat. "And you brought her here?" He wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad but he hadn't wanted her to be here in case she tried to attack anyone.

"No choice," Kingsley replied before wincing at Molly's hand.

"Who? What are you going on about?"

"I believe," Milo started in a low whisper that made the others strain their ears to hear as Sirius reached Lupin. "That I was not welcomed here… Understandable…."

"And who are you?" This time is was Arthur.

"This," Lupin said with a meaningful look to the confused Sirius then to Arthur. "Is…. A Death Eater that we found-"

"And you decided that you wanted to keep it?!" Molly unhinged her fury. "I want you to take her out of here! She's a danger to my family-"

"Molly please-"

"No! I won't stand for it!"

"Best do what she says," Milo muttered and looked to see who held her weak body standing to see soft eyes watching her curiously with its own mixture of confusion. With her gunmetal grey she glanced around the room, feeling the effects of a concussion among her other injuries before looking right to the dark irises of Sirius whose expression was as mixed as ever before until darkness enveloped her consciousness and she fell limp.

"Molly, you have to understand" Lupin started once he was sure that Milo was unconscious. "That we had no intentions on brining her here. We had found her being tortured to death by her fellow Death Eaters and were planning on getting a few answers-"

"Tortured?" Molly interrupted. "Your compassion surprises me sometimes, Remus. As does your recklessness. I would have thought you to be a bit wiser then that."

"Molly," Kingsley started. "She is on our side…"

"Now you must have hit your head if you think that she-"

"She saved my life," he stated flatly. "She could have killed me but she didn't."

"…Aww," Sirius grinned for the first time during the conversation and looked to Molly with pleading eyes when she didn't say anything. He glanced back at the young witch for one last treasure then to the questioning eyes around the room. He would be damned if he let this ruin his day back and alive…. Not to mention that there just seemed something right about this.

With a cheeky grin, he stepped closer to Lupin and Milo with his attempt at puppy eyes. "Can we keep her?"

**Aw Sirius. What are we going to do with you, hm? **

**Next time we see what Milo's fate will be! And what will George do to Draco? What will Draco do to Ron and what will Ron do with.... his owl? Meh, we'll see where the chapter takes us. **

**Please review if you love me!!!!! All you have to do is say "Cookie!" "I love you"!!! **

**Review because I love you too!!!**


	5. Master and the servant

**Wow! There are so many people that are reading this fic. Did you guys know that the only reason I'm continuing this fic is because of the reviewers? That's right. If there aren't reviewers there are not going to be updates. For those who are reading this you better thank the reviewers or you could become one of them. Up to you! ^^ Hope you like this chapter!**

**Disclaimer… Sirius isn't mine but Milo is. So if Sirius doesn't behave himself, I'll take Milo into a different story **grins evilly** Just kidding ^^**

Remus smiled as he sat next to Sirius who was slouched with an arm over the back of the chair while his other was picking at the splintering wood table. The room was rather quiet as Ramus let his eyes wander around the room, taking in the cob webs in the high corners of the ceiling and a single long painting of scenery with a horse pulling a carriage down a hill. Looking back to his childhood friend and seeing the deep frown, Remus shifted in his seat comfortably. "What's the matter, Padfoot?" he asked as he looked to the dark haired man with his head tilted curiously. "You aren't bored already, are you?"

Sirius didn't look away from the table though answered, "You're catching on quick."

Remus sighed and scratched his head. It was only to be expected that Sirius would become withdrawn and brood around the house. They were once again inside his house of the Black family and Remus couldn't help but wonder at the possibility that perhaps if Molly hadn't forced Sirius, himself and the woman, Milo, out of the Burrow then Padfoot may have been in a better mood… Yes. Once Molly found out that Milo was a Death Eater, she refused to listen to their reasoning. Luckily Kingsley wasn't at the end of her fury and was still at the Burrow getting healed back to normal. Lucky man. But at least when the teens had finally came in, Arthur had convinced her to allow a few of the kids to go with Remus and Sirius, but only as long as Tonks was in the house. This was surprising to nearly everyone that Arthur had won an argument even with the odds of winning against him. Nonetheless, Tonks, Sirius, Remus and the teens were here and the house was full once more.

The thudding of feet coming down the hall alerted Remus to five teens who cheerfully stumbled in one after another with wide smiles. "Hi," Hermione greeted with Ginny as they took a seat at the table with Harry and Ron taking a seat across from them; Harry vacating the chair to Sirius's right. Luna was the last to come in calmly before taking a seat between Ginny and an empty chair. "The food smells good," she commented.

"Good because I don't know how well it tastes," Tonks smiled with her hair a lush pink as she entered with the last of the plates of food. Setting them in the center of the table after reaching across a few people she stood back up and straightened her shirt out before frowning. "Where are the other two?"

"Upstairs," Ron explained as he pulled a plate of biscuits to him and Harry. "Draco is reading in the living room, Teddy is sleeping and George is doing whatever George does."

"Oh," she started before walking out of the dining room. "I'll go check on them."

Remus watched her leave while the room was filled with conversations and the clings of silverware against plates. Finally he turned back to Sirius who was still pouting while staring at the table and tapping the toe of his boot against the dirt layered tile floors. "You know," Remus drawled out slowly while taking a plate that Luna handed to him. "It'll be interesting with Milo here now. Kingsley said she is quiet entertaining."

Sirius didn't look up but his toe stopped and a crooked smirk curled his lips.

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There was a noise… Scuttling somewhere in the dark followed by the sudden realization of just how much pain she was in. She winced as she slowly woke with her mind wrapping around her situation. Well… she wasn't dead. And by the feel of the warmth around her much like a cocoon, she was in a bed. Much better then where she expected to wake up, outside in the cold autumn air in some faraway field. The scuffing continued to fill the silence and by the many grumbles under his breath, she knew there was someone in the room by what she assumed as male by the gruffness. Gunmetal grey eyes blinked until her eyes adjusted to the dim light. Even in the semi dark room, her head throbbed at the sensitivity. Carefully, in agonizing slowness, she sat up with a hand to her temples, feeling the rough and thick cotton bandage. As she finally reached into a sitting position, there was an added reminder of hot pain that shot through her ribs. She fell back into the bed with a groan along with the squeak of the old metal framed bed.

Maybe she shouldn't have moved so fast. Taking a shaky breath Milo closed her eyes once again, waiting for the fog to leave her mind. Still her head felt heavy against the thin pillow but too fuzzy to realize just where she was. Before another thought could register in her mind, a cold skeletal hand gripped her left wrist and pulled it from her side. "Aaaaah Kreacher sees she is loyal. My Mistress would be please to see a follower in her house. Dark mark and pureblood. Mistress will be pleased. The house... the house filled with blood traitors, werewolves and mudbloods. The filth…It would put mistress to shame. Poor old Kreacher…."

Milo's eyes widened in slight surprise at the elder house elf that held her wrist in a surprisingly tight grip all while he inspected her dark mark that stained her pale skin. His shoulders were slouched and his voice was much like a bullfrog while he held nothing on his tattered body with the exception of a dirty loincloth. Not liking that he continued to prod the skull on her skin, as if seeing if it was real, she sat up again and pulled her wrist back but he still didn't let go while he grumbled irritably under his breath. It wasn't until he ran a long boney finger tip from the top of the skull down to the snake before bringing his finger to his lips that she truly jerked her arm away, with a sharp defensive, "Release me."

The house elf looked stunned if not thoroughly annoyed. "The lady is awake. Kreacher woke her..."

"What are you doing? And where am I?" she asked in a surprisingly harsh voice. It was then that she realized just how dry her throat was…. _I was probably sleeping with my mouth opened again_, she thought dryly while she cleared her throat.

The small house elf tilted his head slightly. "My mistress's manor that is upheld by her blood traitor son… My mistress will be please to see you. Yes, yes. Kreacher would be rewarded and praised."

"And who is your mistress?" Milo asked tentatively while rubbing her wrist on the sheets that she laid under, trying to get the strange crawling feeling off of her skin. The way the house elf went on about his Mistress made her nervous. She silently hoped that wherever she was, these people weren't followers of Voldemort. Who knew what trouble she would be in if that was true.

"My mistress. Pure blood and true owner of the noble house of Black—"

He was interrupted by Milo's stomach that rumbled loudly and she blinked in embarrassment. She hadn't realized she was hungry. The pain kept her mind off of that. "Kreacher will make Mistress proud and take care of the young mistress. Who is this lady? What is her name; never seen her before, Kreacher does not know…"

"Milo Ashten," she answered carefully while watching his big eyes widened further as he bowed low until his bat like ears flattened out and his nose nearly touched the ground. On a normal day she would have told him not to bow to her…. But this was shaping out to be contrary to ordinary.

"Come… Follow Kreacher." He started to limp towards the door with the sound of his calloused feet rubbing across the wood floors. Milo was strictly hesitant but the ache in her stomach was too much for her to bear. If she wanted to get stronger then she would have to convince this…. Strange elf to show her to the kitchen. However by the looks of the room she was in currently, she wasn't too sure if she would find something edible. Shrugging her doubts off she pulled her legs out from under the covers and carefully stood up when a slight dizziness hit her before disappearing. She was surprisingly not as sore as she had previously thought now that her muscles were stretched and three pops in her spine sounded. Outside of her ribs, her right palm from where she was burned, and her head, she felt rather well.

"Kreacher is waiting. Young mistress makes Kreacher wait by the door while she follows slowly. Luckily for her she is pureblood…" he muttered angrily while his large eyes watched Milo walk carefully across the room, trying to keep her ribs from hurting.

At the sound of his voice she paused in her steps and gave him an irritable glare. _This elf is insane isn't he? He's not one for manners… _Not getting anywhere closer to food she followed after him as he opened the door for her and scuttled out into the hall quietly.

Stepping from the dim room to a brighter hall made Milo wince slightly; she vaguely had time to ponder if she had a concussion before the house elf huffed impatiently at her pause. Rolling her eyes, she followed as he led the way around a corner where a table stood with a tray that looked to be once silver and a dark purple vase sat in the center. The hall was vacated with a dusty table and the frames that were mounted on the wall but it wasn't until she had came around the corner that she realized just what the frames were. This time she halted all together with a perplexed expression aimed at the walls of house elves' heads completed with bat like ears. She swallowed and glanced at the closest one where the candle lights shadows revealed the many wrinkles and fine hairs. "The young Mistress appreciates the Black's decoration?" Kreacher asked hopefully as he watched Milo continue to stare skeptically at the closest head.

"It's deranged."

"Kreacher will be up there too. Yes, yes Kreacher will be very very proud."

Milo finally tore her gaze away and glared at the wrinkled house elf. "Is that a joke? What kind of bloke wants his head on a wall? And who the hell would find that… _decorative_?"

"Young Mistress doesn't understand," Kreacher growled. "She sounds like the filthy mudblood girl. Such disgrace." He finished with a shake of his head where his ears flopped lazily from side to side before he turned around and continued.

With a quick glance at the head near her, she followed her escort who was starting to quicken his speed little by little until he turned another corner. "Kreacher," she called out, not sure what else she had to be aware of. Wandless wasn't a way to travel this house, she quickly found out. Picking up her own speed she paused by a portion of a wall covered with dark magenta curtains. "Kreacher wait you can't leave—"

Her call was soon washed over by an earsplitting screech just behind her head, making pain blind her momentarily which ended in her falling into a small table. The crash echoed and her head throbbed while the screaming continued over her.

"_Blood traitors, filth! Mudbloods! How dare you enter back into my house and befoul it with your depravity! Leave! Let this pureblood send you all to hell! Half breeds and all your vileness! Traitors!"_

Milo attempted to shut the screaming out as she backed into a corner with her hands held tightly over her ears, not aware of the swishing of a cloak in front of her as a man tried to pull the curtains while yelling back at the portrait.

"_No! I will not be silence by the shame of my flesh! Rot in hell, blood traitor! I curse you to rot! Filthy ---" _

After silence once again fell over the house, the man stepped back with hands on his hips and a tired glare at the portrait. "Damn the woman," he said with a shake of his head before his eyes landed on Milo who finally realized that he was there. They stared at a moment, neither moving and both waiting for the other to make the first move. Finally she let her hands fall from her ears awkwardly, allowing her eyes to land on the fallen table next to her.

It was then that a smirk graced the man's lips as he held out his hand to her which she took hesitantly and stepped over the table that was at her feet. Coming to a stand in front of the man, she recognized him as the one who she had seen at the red head woman's house when she and Kingsley had come from the fireplace. What was his name again?

The man's eyed were pulled away from her in a quick moment when Kreacher started to shuffle into a room. "Are you finding this entertaining?" the man's voice asked threateningly as he turned to the house elf who jumped in place then turning with a low bow.

"Master, the lady wanted to meet the Mistress…."

"N-no, I didn't—" she said with a panicked shake of her head to the man next to her but he held a hand up that stopped her explanation as he continued to address the elf.

"I'm sure she did," he started with his statement dripping in sarcasm. "You seem to develop a new bad habit every day. Kreacher."

There was a pause while the elf regarded Sirius under a heave glare. "The traitor of a son is just watching Kreacher like he is angry. Good. Yes. Master should be angry… He disgraced his mother—"

"What was that?" the man asked darkly.

"Nothing…." Kreacher muttered and disappeared into the room, leaving Milo and Sirius alone.

For a moment, Sirius stared at the door where Kreacher had taken refuge behind and scowled. It wasn't like Kreacher to go so far as to waken the portrait. Just what was he playing at?

"Umm… I didn't mean to…er…" Milo started, not sure what she was apologizing for as she kneeled over and set the table back upright.

Sirius blinked and watched her in curiosity as she stood back up and dusted her hands on the side of her pants, doing everything possible to avoid his gaze. She felt strangely embarrassed at the moment… even more so with him starring at her with his intense eyes.

"It wasn't your fault," he said finally and ran his hand through his messy raven hair. "Mum has a problem with the guests in the house, is all."

"…Right. I kind of got that much from her screaming," Milo attempted at a smirk. "Not a blotch of happiness from her."

Sirius laughed while rocking his head back before he held his arm to her. "Agreeable statement, miss…." He trailed off politely, not wasting time throwing up his charm.

Milo smirked, letting the embarrassment wash away a little as she ignored his arm that was waiting for her to take. "Milo. Just Milo." With that she started to retreat down the stairs where she guessed the kitchen was at.

Sirius watched her grip the rustic railing as she took each step carefully while he fell in stride next to her after he pushed away in his mind her subtle rejection. "So are you feeling better? Remus had tried to heal you the best he could."

"Much better then I was earlier," she said shortly, concentrating on both watching her steps and avoiding his eyes that had not left her as he walked with matching steps.

"Well I'm glad to hear it. Please don't mind Kreacher. He's a pureblood worshiping git who doesn't have his head on right."

"Clearly," she agreed with her eyebrows rising. "If there are any other creatures like that running around this house, I want to know now."

Sirius laughed again. "Nothing quite as loose as he is unless you count a militia of Doxies and a family of bogarts."

She stopped on the last step and looked to him as if she hadn't heard right. "You have quiet the guest list. Are you sure this isn't a hotel?"

"It would be nice to make profit off this place but as it is, we use it for entirely different purposes." He stepped off the last stairs and held his hand to her that she avoided as she followed behind him. She really did have too much pride for her own good as her father had always said. She had a habit of turning down help unless it was in dire need. Milo liked to look at herself as strong and independent. Nothing more or less, though she knew how she could crumble on bad days and she tried not to think about it. Instead she, for the first time, met Sirius's eyes with her own, taking in his full height and appearance. He was just shy of 6' 2" and his shimmering raven hair hung in straight lengths over his forehead and the tips of his ears where a healthy hue of tan was visible, brining out his stunning dark blue eyes. Her own eyes followed down the length of his aristocratic nose and high cheekbones until they landed on a crooked smirk that brought her crashing back to reality that she was openly staring at him. Clearing her throat, she turned to examine at the room that she now stood in.

Sirius saw her nervousness and his smirk grew at the effect he had on her. But it only lasted a moment before his eyes landed on a small trickle of blood that snuck from beneath the bandage and down her temple where she absently raise her hand to wipe it away, knocking a few locks from her forehead before it fell back into place. Blood had now started to seep through the cotton bandages in a shimmering crimson red where a darker scarlet was at the edges. Furrowing his brows he resisted the sudden urge to raise his hand to her wound and instead turned towards the kitchen. "Follow me. We'll need to clean that wound up and I'm sure you are hungry."

Milo blinked at his retreating back before looking at her hand to see the small smudge of blood. With her brows drawn together she followed after the tall man with a worn and faded cloak that billowed behind him as he disappeared into a separate room. As her steps neared, the many sounds of laughter and jokes were clear as a bell until a long table came into view with people of all ages gathered around with empty plates and half filled glasses. The air was thick but not with the usual tension that she felt whenever she was in a large group but instead with cheerfulness and joy. It was strange and all she could do was bring herself to the threshold of the doorway and not a step further; afraid that she would disrupt them. Alternatively, she watched with a small smile playing her lips as she let her eyes drink in every face around the table.

There were three young girls laughing and leaning over a red head boy, who looked to be around 18 years or so and an older man with matching red hair at his back between the young girl with light blonde hair and the other with large curls. Next to them, saying something that was drowned by other voices, was who she immediately recognized as Harry Potter. The light seemed to radiate off of him as he continued to tell the others that brought more laughter and Milo frowned. She felt out of place, if not guilty for taking these people's hospitality. This boy, Harry Potter, was who she had been ordered to take to Voldemort if she ever found him, but now she couldn't imagine how she would have brought herself to do it. Harry seemed to fit perfectly with all these people, as if a puzzle piece. Next to him was a woman who looked a few years older then herself who held a baby in one hand and discussed something with a bleached blonde haired teen and the last man who she recognized as Remus.

Suddenly from the corner of her eye, she saw Sirius enter the dining hall from the kitchen with a clean plate and silverware in one hand while the other gripped a large pot of hot water with a rag hanging halfway out; drawing everyone's attentions to Sirius then to Milo.

There was an awkward pause as many eyes watched tensely at Milo who swallowed before looking else where. Tick tock tick tock and the time past until Sirius rolled his eyes, knowing they weren't helping him with her at all. Walking to the end of the table near Remus, he set the pot and plate down with a finished pointed look aimed at his friend. Luckily Remus cleared his throat and took the situation from there. "Good evening, Milo," he smiled warmly. "Come, come, you must be hungry."

She hesitated for the first step before coming closer, all too aware of the eyes that drilled into her as she walked around the edge where Sirius pulled out a chair for her. Sitting she smiled kindly at Remus who continued. "You have quite the gash there. I was sure it wouldn't have reopened when I healed it," he added the last part more to himself.

"Yes, well, the portrait startled me and I had a bit of a clumsy fall," she smiled sheepishly.

"Oh, so you have met her already? Good, then introductions won't be necessary in the future," Remus teased earning a few chuckles from the guys.

"Promise?" Milo let her eyes glance around one last time before she did a double take on the youngest teen next to her. She hadn't realized who he was when she had first seen him. Was the hit to her head really that bad? "Draco? Draco Malfoy?" she asked entirely to the bleached haired teen whose expression was that he had been told disaster was to strike. "You're alive?"

"And he's going to be staying that way too, so don't get any ideas," Ron piped in, nearly surprising everyone there that he was actually sticking up for Draco. Then again it was logical seeing as Milo was the source of his distrust now. The said witch looked to him, making him gulp and wish he hadn't said anything but the look she sent him was only of curiosity.

"On the contrary, we are very much on the same side," she confirmed with a shake of her head. "Neither of us wanted to be part of the Death Eaters anymore and in a way we were forced into it because of our blood. I was just surprised that he was alive and safe from the Dark Lord."

"……So where does that leave you?" Hermione asked tentatively.

"I'm sorry?" Milo asked but Remus waved a hand in the air.

"Answers will come when this head wound is taken care of however until that time comes, you should leave this to us to handle."

Harry looked warily to Remus then to Sirius who winked assuring to him.

"Come on, Harry," Ginny said as the young teens got up one after another to head to their rooms, leaving Tonks, Remus and Sirius in the room that was suddenly filled with awkward silence. Milo shifted in her weight in her seat uncomfortably with her hands in her lap.

"So it was you who woke Sirius's mother, I assume?" Remus asked to break the silence as Sirius pulled the rag from the bowl and rung it out thoroughly.

"You assume correctly. A wonderful lady as well as her pet." The undertone of bitterness didn't get past Remus or Tonks whoe exchanged smiled knowingly.

"Hm, I see you share the same dislike towards Kreacher as Sirius."

"That will probably only make him appreciate her more," Sirius added in a flat tone.

"Appreciate her?" Tonks questioned. Since when did Kreacher like anyone?

"Yup. Seems to have taken an interest in her because of her dark mark." Sirius turned and pulled another chair over to Milo's side so that she was between Tonks and himself. At the sound of dark mark she dropped her eyes to her lap.

"So let's have a look at this," Tonks smiled and started to remove the bandages until they lay in a pile on the table top. "Oh it doesn't look bad. Just needs to be cleaned up but I think I can heal it the rest of the way." She held her hand out across Milo to Sirius who stared at it before he realized what she wanted. Defensively he pulled the steaming rag from out of her reach.

"Nooo, I got this." he whined.

Tonks rolled her eyes. "You don't need to clean the wound. I know how you are." She finished it with an accusing finger pointed at him.

"And how is that?" he challenged back with a smirk.

"I'm not going to have you molest-"

"Tonks, just let him do it so he doesn't pout," Remus interrupted but sent a pointed look towards the now grinning Sirius as a warning.

"W-wait," Milo stuttered while her eyes played ping pong between the three. "What were you going to say? I thought I heard the word molest—"

"Not at all; why would you ever think that?" Sirius interrupted before spinning her chair to face him. She opened her mouth to say something but he again beat her to it. "Hush."

Milo felt her glare darken as Sirius softly dabbed the blood away, rinsed the rag, then finished cleaning her wound. "So you've been feeling better?" Tonks asked as she picked up a few plates.

"My head has been a pain but that's about it."

"That's understandable," Tonks nodded with a bright smile. "You did have a concussion."

"Wonderful," Milo rolled her eyes.

Tonks laughed and walked behind Sirius to peer over his shoulder to watch him work. Milo wished she would talk or say something; anything to keep her mind off of this man who watched her intently, all while the feeling of his knee against hers didn't escape her attention. His warmth could be felt through the jeans and even more so whenever his hand brushed against her temples. Still Milo ignored it to the best of her ability before she finally gave up. The tension was too much and she hated tension. Growing tired of the silence and uncomfortable lack of distance between herself and Sirius, she pulled his hand away from her face politely, but Tonks knew from one glance that it was a clear warning shot right to the wizard. "I think it's fine now," she smiled sweetly but her tone left room for no argument.

Sirius was well aware of the challenge but since when did he follow rules…especially in his house. Wow. He never thought he would be proud to have called this his house. "It's still oozing a little," he informed as he raised his hand once again, while his other hand reached for her knee so he could use it to balance off of but there was a sudden smack in the back of his head from Tonks who winked at Milo when a shocked, "Ow!" left him. Milo smirked smugly at Sirius who rubbed his head while Remus sighed and shook his head in disappointment.

"Play nicely, Sirius," Tonks reminded in a sweet innocent voice.

"That was a lot nicer then I would have done it," Milo informed but Sirius grinned back to her.

"I didn't know you liked it hard—"

"Padfoot!" Remus badgered warningly.

"I swear," Tonks started. "Ever since you woke from that coma you've been at it constantly like your teenage self!"

"Alright, alright," he smiled with both hands in the air as he pushed his chair away from her with his legs.

"I'm sorry about him," Remus said as Milo turned her chair back around. "He can't seem to control himself. It's amazing he's still alive."

"They can't get rid of me, what can I say?" came his cocky input.

"Here, let's get this sealed up before it starts bleeding again." Tonks walked to stand next to Milo and with the quickest wave of her wand, Milo could feel the healing take over like a stretching that pulled at her hair until if finally stopped.

Blinked she reached a hand to the wound to find that it was non-existent though the pain was still there. "Thanks," she smiled brightly.

"Not a problem, Milo," Tonks smiled. "Go ahead and eat before the food gets any colder."

Milo didn't have to be told twice as she pulled the plate over to her and began. "There have been a lot of murders lately," Remus said thoughtfully as he watched Milo eat. "You-know-who has been busy. What was going on in the park before we found you?"

"I suppose I should start at the beginning….." she swallowed and began again. "Right before the Dark Lord vanished, I had just received the dark mark thanks to my parent's interests. They died later and I thought I was home free without anymore worries until a few years ago when he returned. I was taken under Bellatrix's charge where she kept me with her for any killings or attacks that we were ordered to do so that I could "get accustomed to it."" A dry scowl set in but she continued anyway with her focus entirely on the plate in front of her. "After the first murder I had hesitated with the following and it looked like the Dark Lord was going to kill me sooner then necessary because of my lack of desire to kill half bloods and muggle borns………It was at the battle at Hogwarts that I earned his approval after I was nearly killed and instinct took over. I killed a lot that day. 13 to be exact. And I regret it."

"It was a troubled time for us. But I don't see why you would regret it so much when it is a normal reaction of war. It is a kill or be killed scenario," Tonks explained.

"Normally I would agree, though when I say I killed instinctively, I mean in bloodlust." Her lush brown hair was in long waves over her shoulders as she shook her head. "It was the same thing that my father was so famous for. But after that, the Dark Lord wanted to keep that instinct around more often and had arranged an execution in the park with a few kids that had tried to enroll in Hogwarts even though they knew it was for Purebloods. I had, subtly refused."

"And it ended in him trying to kill you," Sirius finished.

For the first time, she looked to him. "Not exactly. I wasn't important enough for him to get his hands dirty so he left it to whoever was interested."

Sirius only nodded his head understandingly. It had happened to his brother Regulus in the same way.

"So I take it that he is making an example of muggle borns in his free time?" Remus stated more then asked as he leaned back in his chair with his fingers laced together and resting in his stomach. "Then he accomplishes showing his power and growing higher in strength."

"I'm sorry I can't be more help to you. None of us knew his plans until it was time to go through with it. He never trusted anyone other then Snape and Crouch with the information."

"And look where that got them," Sirius scoffed. "Probably in some forest rotting."

"You aren't one for respect for the dead are you?" Milo asked with an eyebrow raised.

"It has more to do with the fact that him and Severus went back to their years in Hogwarts together," Tonks informed with a grin.

"Hmm, it's only manners he lacks then. Now I know where the little elf gets it—"

Sirius seemed to choke on the air he was breathing harshly before turning his eyes from Milo to Remus.

"Did she just—"

"Compare you to Kreacher?" Remus asked with an amused smile. "I think she did."

"Yup, like master like servant." Milo rolled her head over her shoulder and stuck her tongue out at Sirius who watched her with narrow eyes and a coy smirk. She was going to be fun…

**Well this is shaping up to be very interesting, hm? Poor Sirius may have his hands full with her, or maybe she's playing with fire and going to find that she shouldn't underestimate him… **

**We will have to see!!! **

**Please review! I love them sooooo much! And after getting loads of hate mail from my other fic, this would really cheer me up!**


	6. My dear insanity

**Whoa!! There's so many new people!!! I love people!**

**This is longer then the last one so hopefully you'll like! **

**Disclaimer….. I own Milo!!! **

George opened a drawer and pulled out a chestnut wooden box before closing the drawer with his elbow and walking back to his bedside. It was early morning and all the teens were gathered in George's room, knowing that this was the only excitement they would have this early. The adults were still asleep to the best of their knowledge and wouldn't be up for another easy hour with it only being 6am.

"What do you need me to grab?" Draco asked next to Harry with his hands holding down a squeaking doxie by the scruff of his neck.

"You should just keep your hold tight with that," Harry advised knowingly while trying to hold back a smirk.

Draco only scowled but didn't say anything while the doxie continued to squirm beneath his grip. He wasn't sure what George had planned but knew it had something to do with the joke shop that he and his brother had ran before the attack against Hogwarts. When they had told him their plans for the day of collecting doxie toxin, he had thought it to be a joke….. now he was thinking twice on it. Even so he felt obligated to help. It was after all his father's friends that had taken Fred from these people's family; the least he could do was give a hand.

Hermoine stepped past him and took a seat on the bed next to Harry and watched the doxie with a slight frown as it wiggled against the covers of the bed. This didn't go unnoticed by Ron who rolled his eyes. "You aren't going to start S.P.E.W again, are you?"

Hermione narrowed her eyes with her lips pursed together to the red head. "Ron, it's not S.P.E.W it's-

"Hey," George started. "Could you leave the lover's quarrel for another time, eh?"

Harry snorted. "Fat chance."

Both Ron and Hermione's glare turned to him which he answered back with a sheepish smile. Ginny and Luna exchanged knowing glances before changing the topic at hand. "So, er, what do you think the others were talking about with the Death Eater?"

There was a tense silence as George stared off to the side, clearly deep in thought and his eyes half lidded. Seconds ticked by and Draco, feeling the tension like a thick blanket suffocating him, shrunk back a little towards the wall with his guilt rising. Every time those two words were mentioned, he felt that everyone's thoughts turned toward him. He hated this feeling but he tried to shake it off knowing that there was nothing he could do about it. Finally the silence was broken by the youngest brother. "They were probably telling her that she better not try anything or they won't waste time killing her here," Ron said bitterly.

Hermoine didn't say anything but only watched Ron with sincere concern. "Ron," she said quietly.

"It will only be a matter of time before they actually get rid of her," George started in a low tone, still glaring to the side with his box in hand. "The order will get what they can from her then send her back to the Death Eaters to finish her off. That's exactly what she deserves."

"Don't you think that's a little harsh?" Ginny asked quietly, finally drawing her brother's gaze away from the wall and to her with mild confusion.

"What are you talking about? That woman could have been the one to kill Fred and you think that she shouldn't die because of it? Are you bloody crazy?" he snapped in surprise. Surely Ginny wouldn't be vouching for the murderer that was down the hall from where they were now.

Ginny didn't seem affected from her brother's irritation and instead explained rather calmly, "She wouldn't be here if she was any type of a threat--there's no way that the Order would allow it. Maybe we should try to investigate just what there is about her before we jump to conclusions—"

"Yup. She's bloody lost it," Ron agreed with George.

"Ron," Harry started in defense of the frowning sister. "You never were one to think things through before your temper got the better of you. Maybe we should figure out what's with this woman before we start fighting with each other." It was not a request. Even through the years, Harry had grown. He had fought for his life and for others against some of the strongest wizards known. Death was not new to him and even through all this he had learned that not everything was what it seemed. "Sirius may tell us about her but we already know the others won't, so let's put those Extendable Ears to use again."

The room was quiet again with the exception of the squeaking of the now angry doxie that refused to give up as it squirmed under Draco's hand. It was then that George shook his head and set the box down on a table to open the lid. "I don't see what's going on in that head of yours, Harry. Don't get me wrong because I've always liked you and admired your determination, though I think even you are getting ahead of yourself."

"I don't think he is saying that you are wrong to hold a grudge against this Death Eater," Luna started in a fluent tone with her head tilted to watch George's back as he continued shuffling through the box. "He just wants us to get the facts straight before we start jumping to conclusions, isn't that right, Harry?"

Harry smirked and gave a chaste nod before Draco continued. "Potter's right, George. We shouldn't be fighting with each other if our enemies are the Dark Lord and his followers."

"……Wait-you'll call Harry by his last name but you won't do the same to George?" Ron asked it mild confusion.

"Old habits, Weasley," the blonde shrugged with an added challenging smirk, knowing it would get under the youngest brother's skin.

The reaction came much to Draco's pleasure as Ron's ears reddened in a slight pink but he didn't say anything. Harry ignored it as George shut the lid to the box rather hard; a clear sign of his reluctance on the subject. "I don't care if you use the Ears," he started, still not turning to face them. "But leave me out of it."

"George," Ginny started before being cut off.

"No. That's all I have to say on the matter! For all I know it could have been her who killed him…."

Draco winced slightly at the eldest's harsh tone and for a third time that morning a silence fell over them but luckily it was killed by Harry's next question. "What do you know about her?"

All eyes turned to Draco who blinked before he realized just what Harry was asking of him. With a shake his head he started. "Only a little bit. I never really talked to her or ever got the chance to. She had joined the Death Eaters," he paused to ponder it. "Maybe a year and a half after the Dark Lord returned again and since that point she stayed with my Aunt Bellatrix. I only saw her at breakfast when she was invited over but that didn't turn out so well….."

Luna tilted her head questioningly to his voice that trailed off and the blonde heir took this as a sign to continue which he did rather cockily, bringing back the Malfoy they all knew. "Her name is Milo Ashten and when she came to dinner, she was anything but pleased. As much as she was….rude at a few points, she made it entertaining—for me at least. At one point she left the table and said she wasn't hungry while we finished our meal. Shortly after Father left leaving myself, Mum and wonderful Aunt Bellatrix." At this Harry snorted at Draco's sarcasm. "Long story short, I left the two women and went to the kitchen when I heard a sudden blast from the living room followed by yelling and more blasting. When I ran into the room, Father was thrown into a table with expensive articles from France being shattered to hell. Ashten had been hexing my Father all around the room and at that time I had hated _her_ for it. But now I have to say it was very funny to see her pissed and throwing his body around like a rag doll."

Ron couldn't help but roll his head back and laugh followed by the others. The mere image was even enough to make George chuckle. "Arrogant, holier-than-thou, git got when he deserved," he muttered then realized he wasn't sure what Lucius had done to deserve such a beating and turned to Draco. "What did he do, exactly?"

Draco only shrugged. "I wasn't stupid enough to ask. But something about '_don't underestimate me'_ and '_I wouldn't hesitate to blast off the only thing that considers you a male_'," he quoted. "Aunt Bellatrix found it amusing even when Ashten stormed out of the house muttering that it served him right. Then right before she slammed the front door she turned and yelled back to him to "_fuck with me at your own peril_"."

"Charming vocabulary," Hermione snorted with a roll of her eyes. Ron was too busy laughing to care about the woman's chose of words and instead muttered something breathlessly about "gotta tell Dad about this".

"Fuck with her at his own peril….." George echoed before a wide grin split his lips. "I gotta use that sometime."

"Don't be encouraged by her. I thought you didn't like Ashten," Ginny replied skeptically.

"I don't but I can still admire a clever mind."

Before anyone could comment further, the Doxie sunk his teeth hard into the flesh of the Malfoy heir. "Ouch! Damn that blasted git!" Draco cursed as he suddenly leapt from his spot on the mattress and jerked his hand to his chest as the Doxie was sent flying across the room with a high squeal until it landed hard on the ground only to roll callously to a stop.

George spun on his heals with his wand drawn and sent a stunning hex at the creature but it scurried towards the safety of the closet with its feet fumbling beneath it. "Oh no you don't!" George yelled as he dived for it just as he tried to send another curse but missed it as the spark from his wand hit the wooden dresser and sent it blasting into rubble; sending splinters shattering through the air and a loud crack through the silence.

"What the bloody hell-" Sirius exclaimed as he burst through the door with his wand at the ready.

"It was that blasted doxie," Hermoine explained, knowing that it was just another blunder that the young men were prone to. "Draco let it escape."

"I didn't let it escape!" he said in his defense, anger clear in his face and a sneer forming. "It bit me! The little bloke _actually_ bit me!"

"Yeah, they tend to do that," Harry replied slowly as if talking to a child.

The full blown sneer was shot towards the un-phased Harry with his eyes narrowed to slits. "I refuse to be treated like this by a little scrap of flesh and teeth!"

Sirius looked relieved at the explanation and let his shoulder's slouch. "Oh. Well in that case have fun you guys and try not to wake Teddy," he said while turning to walk away.

"Wait-" Hermione started with apprehensive eyes studying Sirius's back. "Where are you going?"

Long fleece grey jacket, red shirt and faded blue jeans…. Not to mention that his hair was pulled into a small ponytail with raven tendrils falling over his forehead… "Yeah." Harry started with his eyes narrowing suspiciously and a smirk curling his lips as if he caught Sirius sneaking a cookie from the forbidden jar of Molly's homemade dessert. "What's with the set up?"

A crooked grin pulled at his lips as he turned to face the eyes of the accusing teens. "I'm going out. Shopping if you _must know_." Turning back to the hall he waved a hand over his shoulder with his last words. "Tonks and Remus are downstairs if you need something."

"Shopping?" Ginny questioned skeptically.

"Eh, what would he need to buy? Lupin already supplied him with clothes and there's enough food here," Draco mused aloud. He wasn't familiar with Harry's godfather but he knew enough to see that Sirius didn't get quite so dressed up for any occasion except for one thing; according to Snape that was…. But surely he wouldn't go chasing skirts this early in the morning…. Right?

"It's probably nothing," Ron shrugged and looked at his brooding brother who stared hopelessly where the doxie had disappeared from. "Eh, leave it mate. It isn't coming back. We'll have to find another one."

"But that one had the brand new collar I bought it," he complained. "I didn't even get to put his name tag on it."

This time it was Hermione who spoke up. "I don't blame it. The doxie probably hated being used for your joke shop toys—"

"They aren't toys," George started defensively, tearing his gaze to her. "It's enjoyable, stress relieving merchandise."

"Oh and that makes it better?" Ginny asked skeptically.

"I wouldn't argue with them," Draco started as Harry nodded in agreement.

"He's right. The girls won't give this up so stop while you're head, mate." This earned Harry a playful smack on both shoulders from the girls while Luna smiled behind him. "You should take you advice to heart, Harry. It may save you some bruises later."

********************************************************************************************

Morning found Milo back in the room that she had fallen asleep in, however the wake-up call didn't come from a grumpy house elf but instead was a loud crash in a room down the hall. She abruptly sat up accompanied by a shock of pain but not enough to take her attention from the door that led to the long and dark hallway. Her head throbbed with a headache when she heard a fierce argument follow the crash; only catching phrases of "blasted doxie" and "escaped". Sirius wasn't kidding when he said that there was a militia. With her grey eyes sweeping the room, she pondered on what perhaps hid in the shadows of this room. She took in everything she could through the lack of light, letting her eyes linger on an old Victorian style dresser that was clothed in dust and a tinted vanity mirror staring across the room to the other wall. A chair of rusted iron was pushed against the corner near the door next to a long forgotten lamp, leaving a forever fingerprint of the owner of the house. It was then that she realized that she had no window. Why she hadn't realized that before was beyond her being as it was her favorite place to be.

The grumbling of her stomach pulled her attention away from her pondering. She was hungry. _Hmm…._ Looking down the length of the room from her spot on the bed, she debated whether to go to the kitchen or not without an escort. Yes she knew where the kitchen was, but she had yet to have her wand returned to her. It was understandable. She was their enemy after all and she wasn't just going to get her wand handed back to her. Milo would just have to be patient, though she couldn't deny that she had the urge to ask for it anyway.

Again her stomach growled followed by her reluctant sigh. The verdict was made. She would brave the halls to get her food. Swinging her feet from the mattress, she unraveled herself from the sheets and made her way to the door; while trying her best to ignore the icy wood against her naked feet. With the disturbance from the neighboring room settled, she let her mind wander to the hopes of freshly brewed coffee. Oh she was not a morning person and the thought alone of the sweet scent of coffee beans made a smile grace her lips. It was enough motivation for her to forget that she was wandless as her fingers curled around the brass knob and she gave it a light turn.

Locked.

Confusion, lost, then irritation hit her as a dry, heated glare was aimed at the offending door, willing it to ignite into boiling flames.

She was not a morning person.

So the pleasurable dinner the night before was to get answers from her? She should have known they didn't trust her like they had led; the dismissal of the teens was a clear enough sign, no matter how subtle it had been. Just how hard did she hit her head? Clever along with her talent of acute awareness had clearly left her when the concussion came; a shameful mistake that she had trusted them. Of course the Order wouldn't just welcome her in! What a fool she was.

With an angry growl and hands thrown in the air, she trudged back towards the attached bathroom where she opened the door with a ghostly creak. With a flip of the light, the view of the old tiled counter and a lone shower in the corner came into view, and had actually been cleaned recently. A hopeful thought that maybe today wouldn't be so bad came to her and the corner of her lips pulled upwards…..

And with one look at the mirror, it was gone and had plummeted back into a frown. Taking a step closer she nearly cringed at the sight of light bags under each of her stone grey eyes that stood out more pronounced due to the bloodshot red. Amber hair was frizzed in odd angles with her waves taking uneven crinkles and lumps from where she had slept. Two slender fingers poked at her color drained cheeks before letting her hand fall onto the countertop before she rocked back on her heels; taking a look from a distance only to see that it didn't dull her brooding features.

"Damn," she muttered and turned to the shower to twist the knobs, releasing the water from its silver like prison until it rained down to the tile floor. She grimaced at the color of rusted water came from the fosset until after a few seconds of holding her breath it finally cleared to the warm and pure stream. "At least the shower works and is clean," Milo assured herself with a hand running through her hair and the other testing the temperature.

As she carefully pulled her robes off and let it pool at her feet, she started with her shirt before pausing. _I don't have any other clothes…._ With her shoulder's slouching in defeat, she finished pulling her torn shirt over her head, careful not to irritate her ribs anymore; she would just have to wear these clothes again... After she checked the shower for the second time, she stepped in, letting a shiver shake her spine before she relaxed into the warm water but like all good things, she was on strike two when the water touched her burnt left hand.

Milo hissed in an uncomforted twinge and pulled her hand away from the water but it didn't do anything as the steam searched her palm out and the burning increased. Cursing under her breath, she stepped from the shower, dripping water along the tile floor until she was at the sink where she turned the water onto cold, waiting for the rust to become clear. The young witch tried to blink away the painful tears as she waited, shifting her weight from side to side due to the cold air that wrapped around her until finally the water was clean and she ripped a sleeve from her shirt off to run it under the cold liquid whilst pulling the soaked piece back and wrapping it around her palm in a sloppy bandage…. It would have to do.

Shivering in the tiniest bit, she went back to the shower and stepped in, careful to keep her left hand from touching the warm water again. She didn't know a burn would hurt so bad. Then again it wasn't exactly small and the color was far from normal, taking the tainted red and purple look.

Determined not to feel that pain again, she hurried with her shower, and stepped out to grab a towel. At least they had enough compassion towards their enemy to give her this little bit of good graces. After minutes of trying to pull what was left of her clothes on and struggling with her hand, she finally emerged into the bedroom again with her hair in soaked waves down her back. Now what was she supposed to do? She was hungry and somewhat clean….. There wasn't even a book in this room that much she was certain of.

With her eyes sweeping through the furniture, they landed on the Victorian dresser where she silently prayed that there was something in there, whether it be clothes or a book of some sort. Walking over she glanced it over, searching for any clues to it being hexed in any way or even a sign of a curse but when she found none, she curled her fingers around the knob of the first drawer and pulled. Out opened the piece and inside she found desire clothing, making her smile at her accomplishment but bad things come in threes… The dresser suddenly shook under her hand and a second drawer slid open suddenly, nearly hitting her knee if she hadn't jumped back instinctively.

With no wand at her side, she watched with wide eyes as a shadowing figure slowly emerged from the second drawer in a form that she could only dread. Sensing her fear, the black figure shifted into the form of a Dementor, but Milo had already acted by slamming the drawer shut, cutting the Bogart's escape from the wooden prison.

Already she could feel the sweat bead at her forehead and an involuntary shiver shook her spine. Oh this day just kept getting better. First she was locked, she had no clean clothes, her hand hurt not to mention her headache and NOW she was sharing a room with a bloody Bogart. Feeling her temper rising, she took a deep breath to steady herself, pushing back the urge to scream out in frustration. Instead she opted for glaring at the dresser that shook beneath her hands whilst she kept the bogart inside the drawer. Suddenly a thought came to her and a wry grin spread her lips at the temptation that she was giving into. "Actions speak louder than words, you foolish creature," she murmured under her breath to the bogart while she searched out her blunt object sure to be in this room. Not getting a reply except for the shuddering of the wood, she released the handle just enough for her to be sure it would hold long enough for her to run to the lamp in the corner, which she did with swallowing strides until she was back in front of the now still and silent dresser.

With lamp in hand and a nervous biting of her lower lip, she gathered her courage before taking one last shaky breath…. And opened the drawer just as a Dementor shot out hauntingly from its prison only to meet a lamp against its head. She wacked it hard, swinging like a mad woman with a blunger bat that ignored the screeching of the bogart until it finally receded into the safety of the drawer where she didn't waist anytime slamming back into place…. She had suddenly lost the urge for a change of clothes.

"Bloody Hell," brought her attention to the three who acted as an audience from the door. "I want to go back to my room now," said a red headed lad behind a young girl with thick brunette curls and a dark haired boy who watched with a smirk he tried to hide. Neither side of the room made a move or a noise but opted for a staring at each other until finally Ron nudged Hermione in the ribs.

"Uh… Hi. We just heard a lot of ruckus and were making sure you were alright," Hermione explained tentatively.

Milo blinked and tilted her head the slightest out of curiosity before her eyes fell on the lamp in hand that she awkwardly set on the dresser top. "Er… everything is as best as it could be I suppose."

"I have to give you credit," Harry started as he stepped further inside the lioness's den. "I don't think there is another person alive that you be reckless enough to try that."

"Maybe George," Hermione offered.

"And Sirius." Ron added though he stayed in the doorway.

"Even in your own room, wandless isn't safe," Milo replied in disbelief. "At least it keeps things interesting, that much I'll agree to."

Harry chuckled as he stopped ten feet away and although he seemed relax, Milo knew he was extremely nervous. With a knowing smirk that clearly said "I know something that you don't" she walked back to her bed and sat down. "I'm not going to do anything, relax."

"Well you'd be a fool to try it," Ron agreed but he finally stepped after Harry and closed the door.

"I have no reason to try anything. The Order saved me whether I want to admit it or not, and I have nowhere else to go even if I did escape. What other choices do I have?" she paused before answering her own question. "None. I should just try to go with the flow until my patience leaves me and I become…. Well, to put it blunt, not the friendliest person. Though," she started thoughtfully. "A good book would keep me happy."

"Well you're in luck. I have loads of books in our room so I would be more then happy to lend you some," Hermione offered with a warm smile.

Milo returned it and nodded. "That would be fantastic, Ms…."

"Hermione Granger, and this is Harry and Ron."

Harry only watched them curiously while Ron scowled. "You probably shouldn't be in here, right? I mean I'm sure the door was locked for a reason and I doubt that the Order would want the "Boy Who Lived" to be conversing with a Death Eater, like myself."

"She's righ' Harry," Ron agreed but Harry shrugged it off.

"As true as that is you wouldn't be here if you were just some prisoner—"

"Is that what they call me?" she asked with her eyebrows rising. "That's charming."

"Er…I'm not sure what they call you but that's just what we assume. You are our enemy-"

"Former, thank you," she said defensively.

"Right. Former enemy but that doesn't mean much. We want to know why you are here and what's going to happen now," Harry finished.

"Join the club, Potter. I have no idea. As far as I know I'm supposed to be murdered by Bellatrix and Lucius, not in the Order's base as a "prisoner". We'll both just have to find out_ or_ you _could_ ask Remus. I'm sure he could tell you. Or maybe that Weasley woman; she seemed to have a lot of pull on this."

"Don't talk about my Mum," Ron snapped while he stepped forward threateningly.

Milo only smirked which made his ears burn brighter and his eyes flash angrily. "I didn't mean anything by it, mate—"

"I'm not your friend!"

"But," she continued as if she hadn't heard his outburst, "if you want to be threatening, you'll have to put effort into it. Keep in mind who I sat with at the dinner table every night."

Point made. Hermione gave a pointed look to Ron who crossed his arms over his chest angrily but didn't say anything though it was clear that he truly wanted to.

"So you aren't with the Death Eaters anymore," Harry clarified suspiciously.

"I'm here, am I not? I don't want anything to do with them."

Hermione took it in before the question that had been nagging at her mind came up. She just couldn't keep herself from asking any longer. "There's obviously bad blood between us, even if we are on peace terms, but I have to know how many people it was that you killed at Hogwarts." She left no room for Milo to talk her way out of it. Of course Milo had known the question was to come up sooner then later.

"..........14 people. And I'm not proud of it."

"I bet you were when you were with You-Know-Who," Ron snapped.

Milo's eyes narrowed at Ron who tried to match it but fell very short of his goal. "Where do you get off telling me what I am proud of? Until you have been in my damn position then I don't want to hear a word of it from you."

"I was there at Hogwarts! And for all I bloody know it was you who killed my brother!"

Milo stayed quiet though her glower was still as intense as ever; the grey shimmering like threatening storm clouds. The silence was sickening and Ron could only send icy daggers through his gaze that still didn't match the woman's but at this point he didn't care. He felt sick, sick enough to vomit where he stood and the heat in his face was starting to get to him. It was then that Milo sighed and was the first to look away. "I won't say that I didn't kill him. It's all still a blur…. I can't even see the faces of the ones I killed and that's more unsettling than anything else."

"What do you mean? It would only haunt you if you saw their faces," Harry said quietly, not sure what she had meant. The night of Cedric and even when Sirius had disappeared through the veil still haunted him. The pure terror in their eyes was nothing that a Dementor could hold up to.

"I don't know what you want me to say but I feel like I have gotten off too easily…." Milo raised her eyes to the three before her and attempted to smile lightly. "But if it makes you feel better, Weasley, then I won't put up a fight when the Order decides to put an end to me."

"I don't think they would do that though," Hermione commented. "The Order isn't like the Death Eaters. You'll probably just go to prison."

"No," Harry argued. "If they sent her to prison then Voldemort could get to her. That would be just a waste of time for us and she could tell him whatever she learned about the Order."

"Listen Potter," Milo started. "I don't want anything to do with the Dark Lord so you can throw that little theory out the window. Like I said I'm supposed to be dead. If the Order doesn't do it, then_ he_ will. Even if he promised that he wouldn't kill me for the information then I would still refuse."

"Liar." Ron said quietly. A pair of gunmetal grey turned to him, making him feel like he was being weighed down by her heavy stare.

"What?" she asked in a low daring tone.

"…I called you a Liar," he said louder but not much.

Milo stood up from her bed and walked forward, sending Harry and Ron to pull their wands out defensively, but the action went unnoticed by Milo who stopped right in front of Ron, staring him down like a fox that found a scared rabbit. Even though Ron hid his fear well, Milo could see it clear as day. "You want to take a shot at me, then go ahead and do it, lad."

Ron raised his wand at her but she didn't flinch.

"Ron, don't do it," Harry started but even he knew Ron wasn't going to listen to him with his anger taking all logical thoughts away.

Before any of them could wait to see what was going to happen, the door burst opened and George rushed in, stepping between Ron and the woman before he roughly pushed Milo back a few feet. "Stay away from him or I'll kill you myself!"

"George!" Ginny yelled as she followed behind him with Draco and Luna trailing behind.

Milo said nothing, feeling at least three wands pulled on her. This was shaping to be a pitiful day. Where was the damn Grim Reaper when she needed him most? If this was how she was going to be spending her time here then she would be welcoming the Reaper with open arms. With this in mind, she let her eyes glance quickly around the room, picking through her thoughts the many openings that the teens had in their defense. They may have taken her wand away but she had learned self defense in more then one way. She wasn't one to depend on magic and the quick thought of disarming them was very tempting. Instead she shook her head and put her bandaged hand on top of George's, lowering his wand before spinning on her heels and back towards her bed. "You'll be doing me a favor, but do you actually have what it takes?" She lay down with her hands behind her head while staring at the ceiling layered in cobwebs above her. She frowned at the many spiders. What was this a haunted house?

"If that's an invitation then you better take it back before I except it," George hissed.

"Not planning on it…" she looked over to him. "If it makes you feel better to send a few hexes then please do so. It will give me something to keep me entertained."

"You think this is a joke?! You're mocking me!" Milo winced at the high shout that made her headache throb.

"If you can't keep your voice down then get out," she snapped, her temper starting to reach the end of the rope. "I don't even think you are supposed to be in here."

"She's right," said a new voice from the doorway and it was then that they heard the crying in the background from a few rooms down from the troubled Teddy with Remus in the doorway, a firm scowl etched on his features like dry ice. They knew that look and it was not good….

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Sirius stepped out of the fifth muggle shop with his third bag in his hands and an ice coffee gracing his other. Never did he find shopping to be this much fun, especially when shopping in muggle stores. With a wide grin, he spun to the left and started back down the street, hoping that the bags would last long enough for him to convince Remus to let his new "friend" out of the room. The late October wind was crisp against his hair that he inhaled, relaxing as the tendril of wind wrapped around him. His joy was plain on his face. Finally he could walk freely with no one recognizing him or much less, caring unless you counted the group of teenage girls walking towards him at that moment; hiding their giggles behind their hands as they passed and he sent a charming wink their direction, not missing how one of the three girls blushed a healthy shade of pink. Sirius Black was back in business!

"This day just keeps getting better," he smirked to himself as he turned back to his street where his home was hidden. Even though it was now evening and the sun was starting to creep towards the horizon, he felt as if he had unlimited amount of energy, ready to bound through the park. Safe to say he actually felt like skipping, as a lesser man would have done. But no. Sirius Black was not a lesser man. He was at the tops of his game and ready to take on any Death Eater that crossed his path.

Once he made it to the steps of his house, made sure no one was looking, and sauntered in, he was welcomed with the sight of a full living room of teens. Blinking, he stepped out of his shoes and threw a curious look in all directions, taking in the sight of Harry, Ron, and Draco dusting the shelves, Hermione and Luna sweeping the floor and George mopping the hallway to the kitchen with Remus standing over the eldest brother with arms crossed defiantly and a heavy draw of his brows together.

With another sweep of the room he looked back to Remus and came to stop beside him, looking down at George who scrubbed, on his hands and knees, the wooden floor boards. "Is Molly here?" Sirius asked carefully in a slow and quiet manner. He sent a nervous look over his shoulder just in case before looking to Remus.

"No, Sirius," he answered flatly.

"Oh…. Is she coming?" Why else would they actually be cleaning the house?

"Not that I am aware of." Remus looked to Siruis who pulled a puzzled expression over his honey tanned features. "They tried to start a fight with Ashten."

Realization donned on Sirius who drawled out a long, "Oh," before grinning. "Serves you kids right. I told you not to get into trouble."

"Lot of help you are," Tonks teased as she came into the room with Teddy in her arms and Ginny on her heels with another rag to help cleaning.

Sirius grinned sheepishly and handed her the coffee. "I know, but look what I bought you."

Remus rolled his eyes at Sirius's sixth sense. _He_ _always knew what to do to keep himself from getting into trouble_, Remus mused as he watched Tonks smile as she took her coffee with her free hand; forgetting all about Sirius leaving the kids alone upstairs with Milo just down the hall.

"So how is she?" the dark haired man asked as he walked to the couch and set the bags down with Remus following behind, finally leaving George alone to breathe without Remus at his back.

"Bored in fact. And according to Harry and Ron, she has a Bogart in her drawer but has somehow taken care of it….without a wand."

Sirius blinked and looked to Remus who held a smile knowingly. "She took care of it? How do you do that without a wand?"

"Apparently with a lamp…"

A healthy laugh left Sirius. "A lamp? How did she manage that?"

"Ask her yourself. I'm sure she's hungry," he hinted. Tonks smiled from the doorway with her coffee in one hand and Teddy sleeping in the other.

"The food is already cooked for her. It's on the counter."

"Aww, you cooked us both dinner? How sweet," he grinned.

"Yeah and it's cold. We have already eaten and were waiting on you." Ah, things were never that simple.

His grin fell as he looked to Remus then to the smirking Tonks. "That was rude," he pouted but didn't say anything else as he took the bags with him to the kitchen to get the food for himself and Milo.

"What are we going to do with him? It's like having a second child," Tonks teased as Sirius disappeared into the kitchen.

"Hopefully Ashten will be helpful in that department. He's seemed to take a strange liking to her already…. Maybe she'll keep him out of trouble," Remus teased.

"You forget that she IS trouble," George muttered under his breath.

"Keep cleaning and stop eaves dropping," Remus ordered calmly. The other teens in the room snickered, making George grimace.

"Yes sir."

**Tehehe ^-^ so next time we'll get to Milo and Sirius. I'm not sure if I like this chapter or not. I was hoping for more but I just couldn't fit it in. We'll leave it to next chapter. **

**Please let me know what you think. I like where this is going but I want to make sure you do to. **

**Thank you all!! Have cookies from Molly's cookie jar!!! **Grins evilly****


	7. Devious Deals

**Thanks for the reviews and alerts!!! I'm glad everyone liked it! Now to get started…..**

**I have to say I like this chapter for the most part. **

Cloned grey eyes stared back to the matching pools of slate grey from the reflective glass. Fingers twisted in the worn fabric of her dark cloak that hung from her shoulders as her eyes drank in her appearance from the mirror that she stood before in a haunting silence as she traced the scars and burns that stained her once flawless skin. Standing unbelievably short at 5' 3" didn't give her much skin but who was she to complain? Sure she was short but that just meant she was more agile and flexible to out maneuver spells. Smaller target too… But her positive outlook on her height hit the inevitable road block there and she only shook her head at her unsolvable dilema. Shame and embarrassment stripped at her pride though she held tight to it, repeating that she didn't regret refusing the Dark Lord; she wouldn't lose her pride to the Death Eaters.

Blinking slowly she looked up to meet her own reflection, not focusing on the small details but to see her naked form with only her cloak, bra, and a pair of boy shorts keeping her hidden. Behind her hanging over the top of the shower was her soaked shirt and pants that she had drying from when she had washed them while she took the second shower that day. Her darkened hair clung in wet waves, soaking her cloak till it clung to her back like a second layer of skin. The heat powdered her cheeks with a warm blush seemingly adding an innocent sight though Milo only scowled coldly at her reflection just as her dark mark seared against her skin for the third time that hour; making her ground her teeth together with her knuckles burning white.

Voldemort wasn't pleased over something—that much was for certain. A wry smile broke her lips. She had thought about letting the Order know of Voldemort's activity but immediately threw that idea to the back corner of her mind. It was nearly 8pm and she had yet to eat or talk to anyone other then the intrusion of the angry mob of teens and the very quiet bogart in the drawer… The latter wasn't much of an option. If she was indeed a prisoner, she had no desire of giving them anything free… Information came with a price, whether it be in the form of a hot cup of coffee or until they stopped ignoring her.

With her bandaged hand unraveling from her cloak, she traced a scar just below her right ribcage where a pale "M" stood out from the effects of a dagger. The feeling of warm vile rose to her throat from the memory of Lucius digging his blade across her flesh while she was bound to the tree.

"Malfoy," spitefully rolled from her lips… The damn man had branded her with his damn letter. She could still feel the crawling against her skin even more importantly her lips where he had dared to crash his upon hers one last time before she lost consciousness. All that was needed was a simple swipe of her wand to erase all of the scars… but being wandless served no purpose.

With the burn of her forearm slowly bleeding away, she lowered her cloak from her shoulders but still leaving it around her elbows while she turned to peer at her back. Only a few small burns were visible but nothing that a decent tan could cover up. Before she could search more, there was a knock at the door followed by a muffled "Milo", making her jump before shrugging her cloak back on hastily. She wasted no time running into her room before making a dive for her bed to pick up a blanket in hopes of covering herself better, but no sooner did she reach her bedside did the door open. Gasping she turned her back to the intruder and wrapped her cloak tightly around her still damp body.

Sirius meandered inside in a way that only Sirius Black could with an air of casual calm and an attractive aura rolling off of him under his high confidence. "Ahh," he chuckled. "I see they locked you in," he said while examining the door with his free hand, letting it swing back and forth like a cat and a ball of yarn before he finally shut it behind him.

Milo only scoffed bitterly. "Don't be thick. I locked them out so I could spend quality time with my good ol' Bogart friend." Her tone was low as she tried to push her previous thoughts away though she underestimated Sirius's clever mind due to him catching the falsity of her voice and how it shook in the slightest. Not to mention that as she glanced over her shoulder at him he caught sight of a fine blush and red eyes. A flash of concern came over his face but it was gone before she finally turned around to face him with her cloak buttoned enough to hide her scarred torso and underwear but still she failed in finishing as she unintentionally gave him a view of the top of her black bra and her bare legs. He tried to suppress a grin while he glanced at her up and down, taking note of how her buttons were unmatched and sloppy from her haste.

All too aware of the man's eyes, her blush darkened and she crossed her arms over her chest self consciously as if to shield his view of her. Milo opened her mouth to ask what he was there for but her voice lodged in her throat as her eyes landed on the two plates of food in his hands. Blinking all irritation away she lowered her arms while pointing to the plates. "Is that for me?"

Blinking himself, Sirius looked to the plates where she pointed before he smirked. "Figured you were hungry." Looking back to see her, he jumped in surprise to see that she was now right in front of him instead of her place on the other side of the room. "Er…," he started but she placed a hand on one plate, quietly asking for it which after a pause he released.

"Thanks," she muttered and managed a grin before walking back to the bed. It was only a few steps away that she heard an echo of following foot falls only to mean that Sirius wasn't going to leave like she had thought; or better yet, hoped. Sighing she spun on her heels and stopped right in front of him where he merely looked down upon her with a curious raise of his brow.

"Problem?"

"Why are you still in here? Get out." She said shortly.

"It's my house," he only replied lazily with a twitch of the corner of his lips.

Milo only narrowed her eyes at him refusing to look away all while he stared back. It wasn't until now that Sirius actually noticed just how short she was. Nothing that bothered him at all… but only the thought of the Death Eaters lined in black cloaks and her being one-if not- the smallest of them… It must have been a sight, though she was taller then Pettigrew. The image itself made a short chuckle escape him before it turned to full bark of laughter. Annoyance was washed away by confusion as Sirius walked around her, still laughing, while helping himself on her bed with his plate on his lap.

"What? Why are you laughing," she questioned as she turned to face him with her glare weakening from her perplexity.

"Ah, nothing. It's nothing," he waved off indifferently.

Milo didn't look convinced which was evident in her scowl. What was with him? When she had wanted to not be ignored, this was the last person she would have thought to be her "company". She didn't know much about Sirius Black except that she had met his brother Regulus a total of four times. Not much before he was killed. And from the constant boasting of Bellatrix, Sirius had disgraced his family by betraying their pure-blooded ways and befriending muggle borns and half breeds; not that she was one to judge. No, she wouldn't judge. She was merely pessimistic, was all. Keeping a negative outlook when she was wandless and in a former enemy's house would keep the surprise to a minimal. Seeing as he may have some strange vendetta against purebloods and that she was at his mercy didn't set well. For all she knew this "nice-guy" act could just be for her to lower her guard before he could embarrass her. Not something she was willing to take a risk on, much less fall for.

Sirius was watching Milo the entire time as she still stood in the middle of the room and watched him with distant eyes; the same look that Remus got whenever he was thinking deeply. While raising the fork to his mouth, he paused before it reached his lips and lowered his hand slowly. "Are you plotting my death?" Sirius asked skeptically.

Milo blinked and shook her thoughts away. "Excuse me?"

"If I didn't know any better I'd say you were more interested it eating me then what's on your plate. What were you thinking?"

Milo glared. Yes, he was obviously going for the "nice-guy" act. "Nothing," she brushed off and walked to the opposite side of the room before pulling the old rustic iron chair from the corner and into the center of the floor. The scratching was low as the four legs rubbed against the wooden floorboards until she reached a safe enough distance between Sirius and the bathroom incase she decided she grew tired of his company. Always have a backup plan. Especially when wandless. Perhaps she should make a list of rules…. Well an escape route was number one on her list.

"Why are you sitting way over there for?" he asked in mock hurt though his interest shone through his masquerade. "You know, I don't bite. I'm actually a lovely and well behaved dog when I want to be."

Milo cocked her head and stared, not sure what he meant by that. Why was he referring himself as a dog? Was that supposed to be a turn on? Well considering who she was normally with as company, it wasn't far off, she supposed. "Get over yourself," she said while taking a bite of food and swallowing. "I'm sure you wouldn't want to really eat in the presence of a Death Eater anyway." _So there must be a reason for him being here then_, she confirmed.

But Sirius only tossed his head back and laughed, making Milo aware of just how deep and lyrical his voice really was. "Whatever Molly or anyone else has said, I don't believe you truly are loyal to your old master," he informed after his laughter died down and he scooped some potatoes into his mouth.

Milo wasn't sure what to say except to furrow her brows. "What…what do you mean by that?"

"Because people can change and it takes a particular someone to do it." There was a pause and his humor dropped to a more serious appearance. "Besides you would be a completely brainless fool to still be loyal after all that had happened to you. I guess it wouldn't be impossible," he shrugged. "You could have Stockholm's syndrome I suppose."

"I wasn't abducted," she said quietly with a dry glare. "I just didn't know what I was getting into when I joined." She didn't deny that she was loyal to the Dark Lord… She wanted to find Sirius's angle on his questionings before she honestly admitted to anything.

A small and short silence settled over them but Milo only continued to eat dispassionately, trying to keep her mask strong and unmoving. After years of practice with the Death Eaters it wasn't that hard. But even so, she could feel her resolve to ignore Sirius dissipate as the weight of his eyes on her continued to burn hotter.

"So that would mean you have a blood feud against muggle borns? For some reason I find that hard to believe."

His tone was calm but stern nonetheless. Finally she looked up to meet his dark irises where she held it with her own grey. "Correct that I don't have a biased opinion on blood, but that still wouldn't mean that I was kidnapped and forced to join. Let's be honest here and say I was naive. I was under the impression that the Dark Lord wasn't going to last long when he was as weak has he had been before Dumbledore was killed."

"So why join at all?"

"What do you plan to do with me?"

Sirius was caught off guard by her question but didn't let it last while he shrugged with a smirk while he scrapped the food around on his plate. "Can't say for sure. Depends on where your loyalties lie now before we can make a full decision."

"That's hopeful thinking, I suppose. And just what will happen when I prove where I stand? You planning on keeping a tight leash on me?" she asked bitterly but not accusingly.

It was then that Sirius understood how she felt. When she was out of the room the night before she was surprisingly pleasant. But now her temper kept her shut off to his advances…. And he couldn't have that. She was acting like he had when he was stuck in this wretched house in hiding and forbidden to leave. This little fox wasn't even close to being as tamed and adaptive as Sirius was, though tame was an overstatement. Still it was useful and he knew that if they wanted to get any information out of her and to earn her trust, they would need to start trusting her a little as well. But how to do it would be the problem. Remus would be against the idea as well as Tonks. Same with everyone else. The only one who would be for it would be……….. Er……… Dumbledore; the old bloke trusted fairly easily, but being six feet under didn't help anyone. Not even Harry would be for it. This said a lot for the recklessness of the situation at hand and just where his over active mind was going. _Too bad this was HIS house and HE made the rules_… he thought evilly.

Seeing his strange grin curl his lips while he looked at her through his bangs, made a strange heat enter her belly that she really didn't like. Never had she felt it before and this wasn't something she wanted to feel on a regular basis. Narrowing her gunmetal eyes at him suspiciously, she glanced quickly at her plate to see that she had eaten everything except for what she assumed to be pork. She didn't care much for pork unless it was bacon… Sighing she stood up and walked to set the plate down on the dresser before turning back to look at Siruis who hadn't taken his eyes off of her. "Well," she started and wrapped her arms over her chest. "You know where the door is when you are done."

Without waiting for a word, she walked back into the bathroom and closed the door lightly, not bothering to lock it. Surely he wouldn't dare open the door, though if he did then a locked door wouldn't stop him when a simple Alohamora would open it to her. She could only hope it didn't come to that and he would just get bored with her and leave.

Sirius though only watched her retreating back until the door shut before he pushed off the bed and set his plate next to hers. Coast was clear now to bring in the bags. Why he even wasted his time buying her clothes was beyond him but he wasn't the type of man to think these things through. If something felt right, he gripped that thought tight and ran with it. Only Remus could admit to that much of Sirius's behavior. But that didn't stop the inkling of wonder as to why he was doing this, for her no less. He hardly met her but she had caught his interest in a way that no one else had. She was hard to figure out and perhaps he held on to that because she reminded him of his brother so much. It was a theory.

After opening the front door and pulling in the three bags he left in the hallway, he walked back in and shut the door only to set the bags of clothes onto the bed. He stood there for a moment, letting his eyes wonder from the bags to the bathroom door then back again. With his hands digging deep into his pockets, he ambled over to the closed door and set his ear against it. There was only a sound of a drawer opening and closing just over the mumbling under her breath. Something about "unbelievable man" and "Did they think she was a fool".

With a smirk pulling at his lips, he pulled his hands from his pockets and opened the door to see Milo's back to him as she set something under the counter. With a smug grin now evident he walked up to stand behind her, letting his eyes take in the full view of her round backside and toned legs. But his view was cut off when she straightened up to face the mirror when suddenly a gasp left her at the sight of Sirius standing behind her. "What the hell, Black?!" she snapped and spun to face him only to see that he was closer then she had realized.

Sirius only chuckled to her apprehension and took the time to study her flushed figure. Whatever punishment was to come for his curious barging in was worth it to see that she had unbuttoned her cloak that showed the view he had been wishing to see. Black under wear and matching bra was his weakness…. But even so the sight of the many small scars and lacerations caught his attention just long enough for him to realize that there was more then just one reason why she hid herself from him. Almost reading his thoughts and seeing his smile fade the slightest when his eyes landed on her scars, she blushed in embarrassment and took a step back until she couldn't any longer with the counter hitting her backside. "Apparently I was right. You do lack manners like your house elf pet."

"Why do you feel the need to compare me to that over grown rat?" he asked with a raise of his brow. "You're not being very nice."

"At this point I don't give a damn. I'm not the one barging into bathrooms without having the courteously to bloody knock," she leered while he took this as a challenge and stepped closer to her, taking in her heart shaped face and stunning grey eyes. Milo reached a hand behind her searching for the metal hair comb until her fingers curled around it and she pulled it to her back. Sirius didn't tear his gaze away though he stopped inches from her. He had to admit that she was beautiful. Not stunningly but quietly so. Almost reserved though her temperament seemed to be anything but.

"Maybe you should. You forget whose care you are in."

"Bull shit—Hey!" Sirius had suddenly reached around her with one arm and pulled the comb from her hands. The sweet smell of coffee was thick on him and for only a split second, Milo had forgotten she was angry. Damn it--she needed her coffee!

"Keep your voice down." He paused as his smirk broadened to a wide grin while he looked to her then to the comb he had taken from her. "You should try not to be so hostile."

"Piss off."

"Oh, that reminds me," Sirius muttered more to himself then to Milo while he took a step back, ignoring her outburst. She had to admit that he wasn't disrespectful of her personal space. Yes, he barged in and openly stared at her but at least he kept his distance whenever she showed that she was clearly uncomfortable. "I heard you took care of that Bogart with a lamp. Just how does one go about doing that without getting seriously hurt?"

Her left eye twitched in the slightest while she stared at Sirius in disbelief. "Are you mental?"

"To some that is a rhetorical question," he grinned but didn't continue as he watched to see what she would do next.

"Give me that comb and I'll show you first hand. And if you don't understand the first time, then don't worry. I'll be more then happy to show you again."

"Oh?" he asked with a raise of his brow. That sounded like a challenge. Apparently this little fox was going to stay resistant. No matter. He liked a good chase. "I don't think you have what it takes."

"Arrogant prick," she muttered as he leaned closer to her, dipping his head to her ear as her breathing hitched in her throat.

"I have a present for you in your room," he whispered secretly and leaned back to look at her once again respecting her enough to give her enough space. "Don't go to sleep tonight. I'll be coming here again around 11pm." And with his last words uttered and a wink, he Apparated away in a crack, leaving her breathing a sigh of relief.

Don't go to sleep? _Oh she intended to do just that in spite of him_, she smirked evilly and walked towards her bed room. Stubborn man and his stupid cunning mouth. It would be the death of him.

She didn't make it four feet inside her room when Milo stopped as she spotted the three bags of…_something_ on the sheets. With her brows drawn together suspiciously, she carefully stalked towards the first bag and peaked in to see… clothes? "Hmm," she hummed and pulled the bag closer while fishing a deep red halter top with faded, washed out blue jeans. Interesting… After a few minutes of digging through her bags, she had counted four t-shirts, one tank-top, three jeans, one halter top, and a couple new pairs of boy shorts, which at first she was more then grateful for… until the thought of _why_he bought those came to mind. Obviously they were a favorite in his book; he was a man after all and when he caught an eye full of what she was wearing, then she had found the source of his glee.

"Bastard," she mumbled and tossed the clothes back into their respectable bags before setting them at the foot of her bed. Pulling her hair into a loose thick braid while crawling onto the creaking mattress, she lay comfortable and snuggled under the covers with only a new blue t-shirt and her orange boy shorts on.

"Damn man."

* * *

Sirius stepped off the last of the stairs, landing on the living room threshold. A small frown was evident on his lips and completed with half lidded eyes and a crease across his forehead. The woman was a new discovery to him. To be honest, he had suspected her to be an unintelligible, spoiled pureblood that pushed Voldemort's buttons earning her death. That was until Remus told him of her being tortured and was confirmed that his previous expectations were false when she explained the situation herself the night before. The scars were unexpected. Even when the sounds that she had, surely Remus would have healed her completely… Then again she could have killed Remus's new family or she could have been the one to kill Tonk's father… Even Remus being as forgiving as everyone associated with him had a limit on when to say enough. But this only brought questions to his own mind. Why did he care about the woman? Perhaps curiosity? Or maybe he was bored around the house and she was now a new interest? Shrugging it off, he went back to the kitchen and around the table he set his plates into the sink.

"So? How was it?" Tonks asked as she came up behind Sirius.

He turned around and leaned against the counter with hands stuffed inside his pockets and one leg crossed over the other. "Meh," he shrugged then answered in matter-of-fact like. "She has teeth."

An eyebrow rose. "I'm assuming you are talking about her attitude?"

"What else? I am fully aware that she has actual teeth," he teased.

"So it didn't go well?"

"Some could say she was borderline bitch, but I'm not saying that it was her fault," he added hastily at the sudden drop of her smile. "She's been locked in that room all day and doesn't have any idea what we are going to do to her. You know how I was the last time I was at this blasted house and couldn't go anywhere."

"Maybe," Tonks said slowly. "But maybe she is acting like that as a defense mechanism." After only getting a blank stare she continued. "She was pleasant enough yesterday and even Kingsley had come to respect her. I don't think she's as bad as the others say but maybe she is dangerous to us because she doesn't trust us. Look at who she grew up with. I don't think trust was something she knew or came useful to her…. If you're following."

Before Sirius could comment, Remus stepped inside with a warm smile. "Kids are upstairs and Teddy is asleep. I got an owl a little while ago and Molly and Arthur will be stopping by in two days. Also at the end of the week, we have scheduled a meeting here with the Order. Hopefully we'll have some information from Ashten by then." He didn't look hopeful.

Sirius pursed his lips together and shook his head. "Molly won't be pleased. Not when she sees the woman still here."

"Yes," Remus sighed with his shoulders slumping in defeat. "But we'll cross that bridge when we get there."

"Stop it, you two, won't you? I'm sure Molly won't take it that hard _when _Ashten tells us something."

"And how do you plan on getting information from her?"

"We could force it out of her but I don't think any of us are willing to do that," she paused to ponder. "Or we could trick her into telling us, but she is too smart for that."

Remus thought it over for a moment before an idea came to him. "I think the best way is to earn her trust and see where she is loyal to before we make any extreme decisions. But we should have one person…er… take care of her. That way she isn't exposed with different faces and personalities until she can trust us."

"Like taming a wild animal," Tonks mused more to herself then anyone else.

"Exactly. But we have to have some kind of information before Molly arrives."

"Leave it to me," Sirius piped in but he only got two blank eyes to look at him unconvinced. "Don't worry Mooney. I'll have that information before anyone else gets here and I'll do in a humane and safe way…" Pause. Quickly Sirius caught Remus's raised brow before he hastily added, "and without sexual harassment, _which _I am ashamed that I have to say that to you, Mooney."

"I am ashamed that I have to wait for you to admit it yourself, Padfoot."

* * *

Milo lay in her bed, arms wide on either side as she stared blankly into the ceiling. She couldn't sleep but seeing as she had taken naps off and on all day out of absolute boredom then it was clear that she wasn't going to fall into a deep slumber anytime soon. Damn. Her plan hadn't helped out and she wasn't sure what time it was. All she did know was that a few hours had passed and Sirius was going to be showing up here shortly. With a frustrated sigh, she rolled to her side to face the door hoping that it wouldn't open any time soon—

Knock-knock-knock…..

Milo's eyes widened before she shut them tight, while trying to level out her inhalation to even and deep breaths. If she pretended to be asleep then it would still be able to work…. Or so she hoped. Anything to keep him from coming in.

"Hey, Milo are you decent?" Pause. "Well I'm coming in anyway."

If Milo wasn't afraid of giving away her fake sleep then she would have rolled her eyes. Instead she opted to hold that urge off for a later time. God knew there was going to be plenty if she was going to continue to have visits from this man. The sound of the door opening told her that he was now in followed by the low rustle of clothes but there was a long pause. No more noise and no more movement. It started the mark of a few seconds that ticked by before she heard a sigh followed by the door closing shut.

He was gone? Milo hadn't expected it to work so fast…

After pondering the strange success of her plan, she decided not to open her eyes until she was sure he wasn't going to be opening the door again. Instead she relaxed and let out a slow breath. She didn't think that was actually going to work but she wasn't complaining. After a little longer, she had debated and resolute to open her eyes to the dark empty room…. Except it wasn't empty. As soon as her eyes open she got a view of a leather belt that hung crookedly off a pair of jeans and a blue station hoody matching the pair of cerulean eyes looking down at her with a knowing smile. "Good you aren't asleep," he said all too cheerfully for Milo who looked hesitant at him through wide grey eyes.

"Er.. h-how long… I thought you left. Were you just watching me sleep?!"

Admitting that it was true that he had been watching her sleep was not a good way to start off… Instead he cleared his throat. "Not at all."

She wasn't convinced and the look was clear to Sirius who rolled his eyes. "Look I told you that you couldn't go to sleep so in all fairness I am innocent in all this."

"Not in the least."

"You have no faith in me?" he asked knowingly and leaned down till his face was inches from hers which made her stomach flip even through the dark room.

Her voice lodged into her throat but after years of practice she was able to force her question out. "What did you want that couldn't wait until tomorrow?"

Sirius straightened up. "You want to go for a walk? Or would you rather stay in this filthy room?"

Did she hear right? A walk? Well she would have to weigh her decision carefully and put everything into account such as consequences and what was behind this 'walk'… _Ah-screw it_…"Let's go."

A victorious grin curled his lips. "Alright well get out of bed."

"Er…."

"What?"

"Could you turn around? I don't have pants on…" she explained hesitantly.

"Hate to tell you this but I had a good view a few hours ago, soooo No…"

This earned him a dry glare though she couldn't add her anger to it. Not when she was going to go out of her room. Besides if he wanted a view then fine. He could get it. She knew how to play this game. With a crooked smirk, she stepped off the mattress with only her orange boy shorts and pulled a pair of jeans from the bag before shrugging them on. Sirius watched with a growing smile until the orange disappeared behind the denim completely. "Let's go," she repeated.

"Pushy are we?" He didn't wait for a reply as he turned and walked out the door with her in tow.

Down the hall they went and around the corner in a comfortable silence until they reached the bend where Milo was all too aware of. Purposely she stepped closer to Sirius, bracing herself incase the portrait came alive with hissing threats and blood promises. Sirius sensed this but didn't say anything though he vaguely wondered what she would do if the portrait did wake up…. Perhaps grab onto him? That was a nice thought…

Instead of voicing this, he stomped on the urge and continued down the stair case and into the shrouded living room that was stale of life. Clearly everyone else was asleep, or so that is what she assumed. Seeing that Sirius was walking away, she hesitantly followed the familiar path to the kitchen where a single shaft of light shone through the doorway, showing the silhouettes of the furniture that she maneuvered around gracefully until she joined Sirius in the dinning room.

"Have a seat," he said as he disappeared into the kitchen and out of sight. Milo only watched his retreating back before turning to the table and pulling a seat out for herself. When he said a walk, she thought he meant something more then just downstairs. Then again she shouldn't complain, as she told herself, she was in fact appreciative that he let her out of the room. As she again let her eyes sweep the desolate table, the sweet and warm scent of cinnamon reached her in a captivating air….

"Midnight snack for the lady," Sirius greeted as he walked in with his wand out and a pair of cups and plate hovered in front of him. The dark haired man took a seat across from Milo while lowering his wand and in doing so, setting the plates and glasses down.

"Coffee and a freshly made cinnamon roll," Sirius smiled while stowing his wand into the safety of his pocket.

Milo was speechless. Oh how much she had wanted this. Looking up to meet cerulean blue watching her with interest, she smiled brightly and pulled the coffee to her lips, only breathing in the warm bitter smell before taking a much needed sip.

Sirius watched with a small smile but hid it behind his own glass as he took a sip of before starting on the icing layered roll. It was clear that she wasn't a morning person. And growing up with James had taught Sirius that coffee did wonders to a fairly temper mental person.

"Not bad, Black. You just keep surprising me."

"Yes, yes, I get that a lot. Unpredictable and everyone loves me." Sirius took a bite of his roll, letting it roll over his tongue with the sweet cinnamon dancing through his mouth.

"When I had said that I hadn't meant it to stroke your ego," she retorted in good nature but the insult was still there.

"I think that's the least you can do," he said after swallowing. "After all I did buy those clothes for you—"

Milo interrupted. "And I appreciate them, really, I do…" She turned her eyes to him and continued, "However there is more harm out of encouraging someone of your nature to continue acting rebellious."

"Rebellious?" Sirius asked with raised brows. "Oh…. You think I'm quite the rebel, do you?"

And here was the first of many more chances to roll her eyes while she pushed back the blush. "See? That's what I meant by encouraging you."

Sirius only smirked and leaned an elbow on the table top while sitting forward modestly though ignoring her blatant insults. "So what makes you think I'm such a sexy rebel?"

"Because if your friends knew I was out of the room then they would have your head on the wall with all your pets…." Pause….. She was forgetting something…… "And you aren't sexy," she added with skeptical eyes. That was a lie but she would sooner have her tongue cut out then to admit that, much less encourage him more so.

"I beg to differ—"

"And you would—"

"But," his smirk never faded. "I am aware that everyone here is fully asleep and will stay as such as long as you don't make any noise down the halls."

"Well that just goes to prove my point," she took another bite followed by the warm gulp of coffee.

"You are so much fun," he said quietly while quickly shoving a quite large amount of food into his own mouth before he could be questioned further about that comment.

And just like he thought she started. "What is that supposed to mean? I'm not your playmate, Black so don't get ahead of yourself. That is a warning and the only one you will be getting."

Oh this just opened a door he could not pass! Quickly he swallowed, ignoring the pain that entered his throat as he smirked arrogantly. "Would you like to be? It's fun for both sides and I hear the benefits are worth it…" he finished it with a wiggle of his brows.

Heat rose to her cheeks that she couldn't keep down followed by a twitch of her left eye. "I-you are such… I can't believe you would—"

"Is that a yes?"

Her face twisted to a mutinous glare. "No. It is a Hell no."

"Are you sure?

"Yes—I-I mean no." she quickly added but Sirius tossed his head back in a bark of laughter. "I said no. That doesn't count."

"It does too. You could have said something like 'correct' instead but you didn't."

_Or 'can't you hear correctly? It was a simple no'_ she thought angrily to herself. This stupid man seemed to block her thoughts from reaching her mouth and left her answering things blindly. How was _he_ able to do that? Damn him. He confused her greatly and she didn't do well confused. She had to have a full handle on things... Everything she needed to have thoroughly thought out and planned for whatever scenario arose. And this man, Sirius Black, was messing everything up!

The laughter died down and he shook his head. "Don't look at me like that. You're the one who fell for it."

"Shut up."

Sirius left it as that, knowing when not to push his guests, and turned back to his food, pleased nonetheless. She was entertaining and smart, something that told him that she would be a handful if her motive for being so arose. There was no doubt in his mind that if she truly desired to escape Grimmuald Place then she would succeed flawlessly, but what kept her here? Perhaps she knew there was no place to go and she would be killed on both sides of the war. That fact alone would keep even him in an obedience manner until he could finish a plan for AFTER the escape. But he was straying off the path now, wasn't he? He had brought her here for three simple reasons. 1) Trust-being the key thing to earn with her. 2) Getting information on Voldemort and 3)….. Well he wasn't quite sure what the third one was but at least he had the first two. Speaking of which, he needed to ask the wonderful questions…. "Now about the Death Eaters..."

"What do you want to know?" she asked with her head bowed and the mug of coffee in between her hands. Her plate was pushed aside with only a few pieces of dried crust on the porcelain white and her amber braid pulled over her shoulder.

"You are going to talk?" he confirmed in a casual voice. He didn't want this to turn into a serious conversation that would only make it awkward. That just wouldn't do.

Milo though looked up boldly, clearly irritated. "Why are you surprised? I never said that I wasn't going to tell the Order anything. I only said my knowledge is limited."

Sirius's face stayed neutral though he had the sudden strong urge to smack his palm to his forehead. Of course she said that she would help. Why would he or even the others think that she would refuse? She had told them about herself and even started to explain to Kingsley but they had jumped to conclusions before anything was set in stone. Well on the bright side he figured something out before Remus.

Seeing him ponder over what she had said, Milo took a relaxing sip of her coffee and exhaled slowly. She wasn't going to beat around the bush as some said. She liked to be blunt. Kept everything clear. "I want a deal."

Sirius perked at the sound of a deal and leaned an arm over the back of the chair with a leg folded over his other while he studied her thoughtfully. "A deal?" he asked with raised brows. "I don't think there's much that we can do for you there-"

"Just hear me out, will you?"

Stubborn grey eyes stared back at him, waiting before he sighed and nodded his head. "Alright go ahead."

"I don't care if you keep my wand—well I do but I'm not going to cry over it. I think you remember me telling you that the Death Eaters didn't know about the Dark Lord's plans until he called upon us, correct?" Sirius gave a curt nod. "As true as that is, I found a way earlier that would be of some use. Actually give you a very large advantage IF you are willing to sacrifice something in return. Remember that information comes with a price."

An advantage? Over Voldemort? That's exactly what they had needed! In all fairness this deal was sounding relatively perfect except for the fact that they would have to do something in return… "And what does the Order have to supply you, hmm? A free walk? A new start? Or maybe money?"

"Don't be ridiculous," she said with a wave of her hand. "I want to join the Order of the Phoenix. And I want to be treated as a bloody equal."

"A member? Are you serious?"

All he received as an answer was a passive stare, clearly firm in her decision and not going to budge.

"Nuh huh, not going to happen," he added with a shake of his head.

"Then your information is going to stay with me to my grave."

"You'll go to prison," he continued while sweeping his arm over the top of the chair and setting it onto the table while he leaned forward with a finger pointing right at her. "You'll go straight to Azkaban if you refuse to give us information and everyone will see to it that the only way you leave is by the Grim Reaper himself escourting you."

"New experience," she shrugged dispassionately before leaning forward in a silent challenge. "I welcome it."

If this wasn't such a serious topic he would have burst in laughter right then but is lips only thinned in a tight line. Remus did say he wanted the information… But he didn't say at what price. And for a Death Eater to join the Order was a complete joke. Then again Snape was—No. No that was different. Or at least after Harry learned the truth it was different. But until then Sirius despised the sniveling man and he knew that if she was to join--IF being the main word—then she would not have it easily by anyone except for the four adults who had talked to her. Even the teens hadn't seemed to take quite the liking to her either. This was just a crazy situation that he was even pondering it!

"Look," she continued after the tense silence was becoming too much for her. "I wouldn't lie to you. This information is valuable and not something that I can just tell you now and you get rid of me later."

"That makes no sense," he growled but his voice stayed level.

"Let me explain briefly and you decide what you want to do." She took a breath and leaned closer. "The Dark Mark will still activate as if I was part of the Death Eaters. That means that I will know where the Dark Lord will be located and how many of his followers will be present. If he is angry, I'll know by the amount of pain. If he is pleased there is a strange tingling and obviously he will be killing some one soon."

Sirius wasn't sure what to think. This would give them an advantage like never before. To know where Voldemort was and if he was going to kill, then that meant the death rates would be decreased and they would be able to hold him off from gaining any new ground in this war. "And in return, you want the freedom as the rest of the people have in this house as well as becoming a member?"

"Yes," she nodded. "I have no more connections to the Death Eaters except for the mark on my arm. No loyalties and no emotions whatsoever. There isn't any place for me to go without being killed and I would like some allies in this war. Not to mention that I have nothing against the Order except that I had to obey commands and nothing more. If you would have my loyalties then I would do anything I could to help with assignments and missions."

A smirk lit up Sirius's face with his eyes twinkling mischeviously. "Well I will have to discuss this with Remus and the others before a decision is made. First thing in the morning and I'll talk to him about it, deal?" He offered his hand across the table which she took with a small smile.

But the end of the relaxing discussions was nigh as a sudden screeching made both jump and release their hands. It shattered the silence ghostily and clapped through the stale air as the portrait came alive once more.

_"Filthy Traitors dare to sleep in my house! I curse you all! Dine in Hell with your vile and retched nightmares! Half bloods, werewolves and vermin alike!" _

"Shit!" Sirius cursed and stood from his seat, knocking his chair back before striding out to the living room in a quick trot. Hesitantly Milo followed closely behind him as they strode up the staircase taking two steps at a time.

_"Mudbloods! Leave! The fools of you to enter and sleep in my house and befoul it with your depravity! Disguisting blood relations! This pureblood will send you to the fire pits of the Dark Lord!"_

Finally they reached the top and after a few extra strides, they both found themselves in front of the portrait with the dusted, silk curtains sprawn open with a very pleased house elf holding the end with long boney fingers. Kreacher looked to the face of the perplexed woman then to the angry man in front of her who looked about ready to pounce on Kreacher at that given moment.

_"The filth of my flesh and stain to this name! Be gone! Crawl to a hole and die!"_

The thudding of many feet echoed down the other end of the hall just as Remus, Harry, Hermione, George, and Draco filed in one by one in front of the painting…. All coming to an abrutp halt and staring between Sirius, the portrait and Milo who stepped closer to her escourt as the screeching continued through the halls, ready to burst the wall into slivers of cracks.

All while a grinning Kreacher sent death glares straight at Sirius who glowered back with his own rage at the situation that he found himself in.

**Haha what a wonderful little house elf. So evil, hm? Sneaky little prick. Anywho please review! It's appreciated and I am glad over this fic so far. I hope that everyone here likes it as well. Please let me know! **

**Just push the little button below and leave a few sentences on what you think. And BAM!! I try to update faster! It's like magic!!**


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